


The Darkness Within

by Katara93



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: M/M, Serial Killer Kylo Ren, This is pretty messed up, detective hux
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-01 22:43:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 43,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13304892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katara93/pseuds/Katara93
Summary: Hux is a detective trying to catch the serial killer Kylo Ren. He is getting too close, so Kylo kidnaps him. Another rp.





	1. Chapter 1

Kylo waited under the shade of a large pine tree, enjoying the chill of the early morning breeze as he refreshed his Twitter feed. Right on time -- 6:00am on the dot -- the object of his desire logged the start of his run. If there was one thing Kylo could count on, it was that Hux was never late. He attended to his early morning runs with the devotion of a fervent church-goer. That would work to Kylo's advantage if things should... go less than expected this time. Consulting his watch, he readied himself for Hux's arrival, jogging a bit in place to work up a sweat. He had to look like he'd been at this for a while. Just before Hux rounded the corner, he bent over to look like he was adjusting his running shoes.

Even though Hux hated sweating, running cleared his head and kept him in shape. Usually it was early enough that it was still chilly, which was an added bonus. This morning, he was thinking of Kylo Ren, who had still managed to evade the FBI. He was smart, but Hux was smarter and he was confident he would catch him eventually. He saw a runner tying his shoes in the path in front of him and swerved slightly to avoid him, continuing jogging.

As soon as Hux passed, Kylo jogged up behind him, sure to keep his pace just shy of Hux's. From this vantage he could appreciate the lines and curves of the thinner man's body without attracting attention. He wondered if Hux was thinking about him right now. He'd left so many gifts for him to find, but he'd never been close enough to see his reaction when he found one. How many laps will it take him before he notices?

Hux could hear the other man behind him, and he stayed to one side of the track in case he wanted to pass but he didn't. On his second round, he noticed something in the bushes just off the track. He walked over to make sure it really was what he thought it was, and grimaced. A body. He double checked for a pulse to be sure, but the man was dead. Hux knew immediately it was the work of Kylo Ren. All his victims looked eerily like Hux. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to call his office.

Kylo kept jogging, but picked up his pace once he was out of sight. He'd found the perfect spot from across the lake to observe the proceedings. This time he'd laid out a picnic blanket, on which to watch the sunset, and a lovely 5-course meal, but his guest had been so uncooperative. Since Kylo had tied the man's hands to the tree behind them, he understood that it would be hard for the man to eat on his own, so Kylo had been gracious enough to help him. He didn't understand why people couldn't appreciate how he went out of his way to make the evening special for them. Sadly, he had to strangle this one after he'd failed to enjoy their lovemaking. Why did they always cry so much? He was just trying to do something nice. Afterwards he'd posed he man on his back, arms folded behind his head, so he could enjoy the sunrise as well. Well, in any case, Hux would enjoy the opportunity for more late night study of his talents. Hux seemed to enjoy working late. He did it so very often.

The FBI and police were quick to show up, the sirens blaring as they arrived. They cordoned off the area and Hux watched the forensic guys come and try to get evidence from the crime scene. As was usual for Kylo Ren, the victim was in a romantic position, with semen in the body that they hadn't been able to get a match on. The cause of death was strangulation, another thing that Kylo Ren did to all his victims. Hux tried to go into work, but his supervisor stopped him, saying Hux had already worked through all of his days off for months during this case. Hux frowned but did as he said, walking back to his apartment.

Kylo was disappointed that Hux hadn't stuck around long enough to find his letter. He had been hoping to get a reaction from him. He supposed he'd have to take matters into his own hands now. He could afford to keep his distance -- he already knew where Hux lived -- and anyway, he needed to give him time to get undressed and relax. Kylo was a very considerate boyfriend, after all.

Hux walked slowly home, still thinking about Kylo Ren. He knew his boss had told him to take the day off but that didn't mean he couldn't think about the case. He walked into his apartment and climbed to the third floor, stripping off his clothes when he was in his apartment and stepping into the shower. He was out quickly as usual and pulled on some sweatpants, not putting a shirt on for the moment, walking into his living room and getting on his laptop.

Kylo watched from the veranda of the coffee shop across the street. From here he had a decent vantage point for spying on Hux as he worked. With Hux's desk in the corner by the window, he could almost see over his shoulder to see what he was looking up. More importantly, he could get a great view of Hux's scars, a pattern he'd been trying to replicate on his dates for almost a year now. He needed to cause a distraction so that he would shift just enough to get a good picture. It looked like Hux was on Twitter again, so Kylo pulled his camera out of his gym bag, got it ready, popped onto his own account, and fired off a quick update from his burner phone. "Don't you just love watching the sunset after a nice picnic by the lake?" He knew Hux would see it. Kylo had tens of thousands of followers now. And every time the details of a case became public he gained more. Of course, there were copycat accounts -- which he didn't mind since it took some of the FBI's attention off of his -- but enough people seemed to appreciate his work that they knew which one the real account was.

Hux didn't have any work to do (since his boss refused to give him any) so he mostly just got on Twitter and looked up a few things about some other cases he was working on. He saw a new update on one of the accounts that claimed they were Kylo Ren. They suspected this was the real one since they seemed to know things only the real killer could now. When he saw the post, he got up to grab his phone and call the office and see if they could get a trace on where the post had come from. He was sure they already had seen it, but he needed to do /something/. He got up and walked past the window to get his phone. As he suspected, they had already seen it and his boss chastised him for working when he was supposed to be taking the day off. He hung up with a sigh, deciding if there was nothing else to do he might as well get drunk. It was still pretty early to be drinking, about 3:00, but he didn't really care, so he dressed properly and walked outside his apartment to a bar that wasn't too far away.

His patience had paid off; Kylo now had at least ten close up shots to work with. A nervous energy worked its way through him as he studied the pictures. He felt himself hardening in anticipation, but willed it away when he saw Hux getting dressed again. On the move so soon? Kylo packed his things and hurried out after Hux, dumping the burn phone in a sewer drain a few blocks away. He was feeling energized now. Manic, even. He needed to do something dangerous. Kylo waited until Hux had gotten his drink, then went in, sat in the stool right next to him, and ordered the same thing.

Hux ordered whiskey when he got to the bar, sipping it slowly. He saw another man sit next to him and spared him a brief glance before looking forward again. He drank in silence, ordering another whiskey when his first was done. When he had finished that one, he stood up and paid, feeling pleasantly buzzed. The sun was setting when he left the bar, beautiful in pinks and reds.

"Nice sunset," Kylo remarked as he walked up behind Hux.

Hux looked back to see the man who had sat beside him in the bar had followed him out. "It is," he agreed, starting to walk toward his apartment.

Kylo waited until Hux was at least halfway home before calling from the courtesy phone in the bar. He was smart enough to put his gloves back on before doing so. Hux's cell rang a few times before he picked up. "What I meant was, it would be nice to watch the sunset with you. Do you like picnics?"

Hux answered the phone, his fingers fumbling a few times with the keys before he answered it. He frowned when he realized who was calling. "Not particularly. And I don't even know you."

"You will," Kylo said and hung up. He walked out as casually as he could and headed in the opposite direction, taking the long way back around the lake. The police and FBI had already finished up with the crime scene. He was sad that there was nothing left to enjoy, but he had other plans. Kylo jumped on his motorcycle and roared off toward Capitol Hill to pick up his next date. This one he would take back to the small house he'd rented out by the airport. Whoever the lucky young man would be, he would certainly enjoy what he had in store.

Hux frowned down at his phone, not liking how that sounded slightly ominous. He shook his head and walked back to his apartment.

Kylo had little trouble picking up his next mark, though it took him until closing time to find just the right one. The young man had the same exact height and build as Hux, same hair color and cut, though slightly shaggier. His eyes were brown, but that wouldn't matter. He was high as a kite, and no trouble at all to get on the bike, though Kylo was worried he might fall off on the way. When they finally got back to his place, Kylo slipped a chloroformed cloth over his mouth and nose and waited until he passed out. He didn't have to wait long. The man didn't even struggle. Lugging him down into the basement, he stripped him and tied the man spread-eagle to the wire bed frame. He pulled out his camera and located the best shots, zooming in on the scar patterns and contemplating which scars were created by which tools. Had it been a belt? A whip made of rope or a cord of some kind? Something else that looked like burns... perhaps an iron or maybe a heated fireplace poker? He felt himself getting harder the more he thought about it, but again forced himself to put it off for later. He had a variety of tools in the basement with which to begin his work, but it wouldn't be worth starting until the man came back around. Kylo vowed not to touch himself until the man started screaming.

Hux spent the rest of the evening watching TV. He hoped his boss would let him go to work the next day, he was too personally invested in this case. It had to mean something that all the victims looked like him, but he just didn't know what yet.

As Kylo worked through the night, making sure to match every scar with its proper implement (or as close as he could get, sometimes having to show the photos to the man tied to the bed and get his opinion on what he thought it might be), he was dismayed to realize he'd made mistakes in the pattern on the last man's back. This one would be much more accurate. It didn't take long for him to start begging, crying, and screaming for mercy. Kylo finally allowed himself an indulgence and pulled his cock free of his jeans, stroking himself lazily as he whipped deep gouges into the man's back. He thought about Hux and how he missed Kylo's homage to his scars because his shithead boss had sent him home before the CSI guys had turned over the body. He'd also gone home before they found the note tucked into the man's hands. His anger made it easier for him to come, and he shot several loads of hot cum over the man's back. Kylo didn't make a sound when he came, preferring to stay silent to hear the other man's cries. This was going to be a very long, but productive night.

When Hux woke up the next morning, he had a sudden realization. He had seen Kylo Ren. The comment about Hux enjoying picnics and how the man had known his number connected in his brain. And now it made more sense. Kylo was practicing with these men because for some reason he was in love with Hux. He wished he could go to the office right away and sit down with the sketch artist, but the office wouldn't open for hours so he went on his usual morning jog.

Kylo hadn't slept all night. He was far too excited about today. Sometime around 4am he drove a rental van to the park and jogged out to the spot he'd picked for his ambush. It was a secluded, narrow section of the trail, darkened by close-growing trees and obscured from the main road and bike trail. He knew from previous observations that the agent didn't jog with his sidearm, so he felt he would have no difficulty overpowering him. Waiting for Hux to pass was like the anticipation he'd felt as a child, waiting all night for the morning to come and the chance to open his Christmas presents.

As Hux jogged he was lost in thought, trying to remember exactly how Kylo looked for the sketch artist.

Kylo jogged up behind him, getting as close as he dared before saying, "That was pretty rude, the way you turned me down yesterday."

Hux stopped abruptly at the familiar voice and turned to face Kylo. He could get a better view of his face in this light, and he made sure to memorize it. "And it was pretty stupid of you to show yourself twice," he returned.

Kylo jumped him, ramming full-speed into his mid-section and knocking Hux to the ground. He wanted to have a little fun before knocking him out. Kylo struggled (not as hard as he'd expected) to pin his arms. "I told you, you'd get to know me."

Hux struggled as he was knocked to the ground, trying to get a punch in but Kylo was forcing his arms above his head. "You should know if you do anything to me it'll make the case personal for the FBI. They'll stop at nothing to catch you. Let me go and I'll forgot I saw you here."

"Oh, don't worry. They won't be looking for you after tonight." Kylo smiled. It was an unnerving smile, not because it was creepy but because it appeared to be warm and genuine, so completely out of place to the situation.

Hux paused for a moment, put off by the smile before he started struggling again and yelling for help.

Kylo had Hux's slender wrists pinned with one hand, and the moment he took in a deep breath to scream, Kylo slapped a chloroformed rag over his mouth. "Sweet dreams."

Hux tried to resist breathing for as long as he could, but inevitably he had to breathe and he felt darkness encroaching.


	2. Chapter 2

When he woke up, it was somewhere underground and dark. Probably a basement. There was a single light bulb lit, so it wasn't completely dark. He was sitting in a chair, and when he tried to move his legs and arms he found they were tied to it. There was a man across from him shackled to a bed. Another person who looked a lot like him. He could hear rattily breathing and see his chest moving, so he knew he was alive. "Hey, can you hear me?" Hux called quietly, looking over to the stairs to make sure Kylo wasn't about to come down. The other man bolted up as much as he could with fear-filled eyes and tried to say something but Hux couldn't understand. When he opened his mouth, Hux could see it was bloody. All of his teeth had been knocked out. The rest of him was covered in marks that looked an awful lot like the ones his father had given him.

Meanwhile, Kylo had to work fast. He didn't know if Hux had been sent home for the whole weekend or if he was expected in the office today. Usually, Hux had weekends off (according to Kylo's meticulous surveillance) but that didn't mean the workaholic didn't pop in from time to time on Saturdays. Deep breath. Everything is under control. Nothing to worry about. You've thought this through. Kylo stuck the keys into the ignition of Hux's government car, and for an irrational second he thought it might not work, but the engine turned over instantly. Hux apparently took as much meticulous care with his car as he did everything else. Fully aware that the car had a tracker somewhere, Kylo left it over at the crime scene by the lake and drove back in his van. No one would suspect anything wrong if they checked the GPS later.

The other man was still babbling, and Hux needed to think of something to calm him down. "I'm with the FBI," he said in a calm voice. "We're both going to get out of here, don't worry." The other man looked a bit calmer but Hux could still see traces of fear in his eyes.

Kylo got home at a quarter to 9am, traffic being an absolute gridlock after 8. It was later than he'd hoped, but that just meant he'd have to work faster. Assuming Hux was meant to be in the office today, they would only just now be expecting him. If they checked up on his whereabouts, they'd see his car parked at the crime scene and hopefully assume he was making some last minute checks. He could still do this. He came in, chucked his and Hux's keys in the kitchen table, pocketed Hux's cell phone, and hurried down to the basement, two steps at a time. "Oh, good, you're both awake." He sauntered over to the man on the bed and forced his mouth open. The man whined, but Kylo seemed oblivious to his pain. He spent a few seconds looking inside with his flashlight, then turned to Hux. "Have you had your wisdom teeth out?"

Hux tried to work at his bonds while there was no sign of Kylo. He worked his hands back and forth as much as he could. He could feel the blood running down but it just made the job easier and he could handle pain. He had almost loosened them enough to get his hands free when he saw Kylo walk into the basement and he cursed internally. "Yes," he answered cautiously.

"Oh, well then. That's going to make things complicated. Not for you so much, but..." He turned back to the man on the bed. "All four?"

Hux didn't know where he was going with this, but he shook his head. "No. Just the bottom two."

"Ah. Those are just the worst, aren't they?" Kylo stood and went over to the table in the corner, where he'd stashed various tools. On his way back he glanced at the floor behind Hux. "I knew you'd try. It's best you just sit still and be quiet for a moment. I'm going to have to concentrate, and if you distract me, you're only going to hurt poor..." he pulled a wallet from his pocket and rifled through it, "Timothy, here." He pocketed the wallet and sat down on the edge of the bed, brandishing some sort of dental tool. "Timothy... Tim... What a boring name. Nothing like Armitage." He forced open Timothy's mouth again and dug around inside for what seemed like hours -- more for Timothy than for Hux -- finally yanking out one of his wisdom teeth. Timothy gagged on the blood fountaining out of his mouth, and Kylo tipped his head forward for a while. "Go on, spit it out. I don't need you dying on me just yet." After a few minutes, he dug in after the other tooth. "Christ. This is harder than I thought."

Hux didn't reply to that, instead watching Kylo grab some tools. He cursed internally again when he Kylo called him out on his escape attempt. He did as Kylo said and stayed still. He cursed again when he saw Kylo yanking out Timothy's wisdom teeth. He understood now, Kylo was trying to make this man look as much like him as possible. "You have me now, there's no need for that," Hux said.

"You don't seem..." He finally wrenched out the second tooth, "to understand. This is /how/ I get to keep you." He picked up a bottle of whiskey, the same brand Hux had been drinking at the bar, and held Timothy's head back. "Go on, drink it down. You'll feel a lot better. All of it." Once he'd gotten Tim good and drunk he pulled another bottle out and forced him to drink that as well. "Don't you dare throw up in here. It'll hurt you more than it'll hurt me, but I still won't be happy about it."

While Kylo pulled Timothy's other tooth out, Hux looked for something sharp or blunt he could use since his hands were free. He didn't see anything besides what was next to Kylo on the table. He could try to run but then Kylo would probably kill Timothy. He gave up and paid more attention to the scene in front of him, noticing the brand on the whiskey Kylo was forcing into Timothy. "I must admit, Kylo, I'm impressed," he said. "Your attention to detail is impressive. You did all this for me?" He tried to sound like he was enjoying what Kylo did, hoping his theory that Kylo was infatuated with him was correct.

"I'm very detail oriented." Kylo smiled as he forced more liquor into Timothy. "I'm glad you approve. Of course I did this all for you. Although, I thought your observational skills were a lot more developed. For example, I have this knife, here," he said, brandishing a serrated hunting knife and twirling it around in his free hand, "and you have nothing. So, even though I'm fairly certain I heard your ropes fall away, you're not going to do anything stupid, are you?" Kylo turned so that he could face Hux more easily while still holding the bottle. "I've been leaving you gifts, trying to sort out what you like, since high school. But you don't remember me, do you?"

Hux shook his head. "Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless." He frowned. Since high school? He looked at his face closer, then had a sudden moment of realization. "You went to the same college as me, didn't you? I think I recognize you from some of the criminology courses."

"So you /do/ remember me." Ben smiled that lopsided, genuine grin again. "I went into criminal psychology. Fascinating stuff. I loved those looks you'd give me when I answered the professor before you could. I could tell we were meant to be together even before that, but your eyes... They said it all then. I understand why we couldn't be together then, though. The FBI seems very conservative. I'm guessing there aren't many openly gay agents." Ben got up and came over to kneel beside Hux's chair. "I'm sorry about this, but I really do need to re-tie your hands. You understand."

"Of course I remember you, how could I forget?" Hux asked, hoping if he played along with this he would be able to get him and Timothy out of it. Truthfully, he didn't really remember Kylo, and he was sure he went by a different name back then but he wasn't sure what. Hux shook his head ruefully. "You're right. The Seattle branch isn't quite as bad, but it's still frowned upon to be gay." He was glad Kylo had thought up an excuse for him, so he didn't have to. "And if I want to make Special Agent in Charge I can't let anybody know I'm gay." He looked over at Kylo with a frown but he nodded. "Yes, I understand."

"It's just that I need to hurry, you see." He grimaced as he threaded the rope around Hux's abraded and bleeding wrists, as though he really didn't want to hurt him. He pulled the ropes tight, securing the knots in several unreachable places under the chair. "I have to do something that's going to hurt you, now. You see, the dental records have to match," he motioned back to Timothy, "so, I'm going to need a few of your molars to fill in. If you prefer, I can knock you out again."

Hux grimaced slightly as the ropes were pulled back onto his wrists. "A few of my molars," Hux repeated. He was sure that would be extremely painful. "Yes, I think I would prefer that if you don't have any painkillers."

"I don't. Just the alcohol. But Timothy needs that. He's going to be you now..." Kylo paused, standing up to admire his handiwork. "Will you tell me something? Did I get this one right?" He moved to Timothy's side and turned him so that Hux could see his ruined back. "I thought these were cigarette burns, but I couldn't quite figure out this longer scar. What caused this one?"

Hux felt bad that Timothy had been dragged into this. Since he couldn't pass for Hux for long that meant Kylo was going to kill him somehow and let everyone think Hux was dead. He leaned forward to look, even though he really didn't like thinking about his past. That's why he never looked at himself naked in a mirror. It brought back too many bad memories. "Yeah, you were right, those were cigarette burns," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "And that one was caused by a hunting knife being thrown. I managed to mostly dodge it, so it didn't get too deep." That had been another one of his father's sick games, he had forced Hux to run in front of him while he threw knives at him.

"You mean, like this one?" He held up his own knife and stared into Hux's eyes, almost like a challenge. He was daring Hux to lie to him.

"Yes, sort of like that one," Hux said. "The blade was a little longer, though." He met Kylo's gaze evenly.

"Hmm. You're pretty good at handling pain, aren't you?"

Hux blinked. "I suppose so." His father had made sure of that. "I avoid it when I can, though."

Kylo but his lower lip and looked sheepish. "I'm thinking I'm going to have to take the first one out while you're awake. I'm afraid you won't take me seriously unless you see what I'm capable of. It's going to hurt... A lot."

"I would really rather you didn't, Kylo," Hux said, shaking his head and trying to widen his eyes to look more innocent. "Believe me, I know what you're capable of."

"Oh, that's sweet. You're using my name to make me feel more sympathetic toward you. Cute." His smile disappeared. "Open your fucking mouth. Now."

Hux considered resisting, but there was no point in that and he wanted Kylo to think he was cooperative. He opened his mouth.

"Sorry, but this is important for you. I think you've avoided pain for too long." He reached back into Hux's mouth and clamped the extractor around a back molar, wrenching it from side to side until it started to give. "It's ok for you to scream. No one can hear us out here. I won't judge."

Hux dug his nails into his palms when he felt his tooth start to move. It was painful, but not horribly so yet. He was determined not to scream, though.

Kylo needed both hands to pull the tooth free, and there was so much blood that the extractor slipped several times, nearly cracking the tooth above it. "Fuck!" Finally, he ripped it free, and stepped back, observing every twist of Hux's features, luxuriating in his pain.

Hux could feel his eyes start to water as Kylo struggled to get the tooth out. The pain was awful, he just wanted to get it over with. When his tooth finally came loose with a pop he did scream, hanging his head and letting the tears run down his face.

"That wasn't so bad was it?" Kylo smiled and cupped Hux's cheek, wiping his tears away with a swipe of his thumb. "You did really well. Don't worry, I'll keep my promise in a minute." Kylo dipped the bloody root of the molar into some Dermabond, that he'd stolen from the same dentist's office he'd gotten the tools from, and moved over to Timothy to insert it into the proper hole. Fitting it into place, Kylo spoke over his shoulder, having to raise his voice over the moans of the two men. "I'm going to need at least two more, I think, from the bottom, and maybe one from the top. Hmm. Yes. See, the wreckage of the car is going to burn really hot. I imagine it will be nearly impossible to gather DNA, but the dental record will match enough that the other physical qualities will sell it. Same height, same weight, close to the same age... Sorry, Tim, I'm going to have to smash your face in. It'll probably kill you. Well, eventually."

Hux let Kylo have his moment of intimacy, not turning away and keeping his expression neutral. The pain had turned from intense and searing to a horrible throbbing that ran through his whole head. He wished there was some way he could get Timothy out of this but he knew there wasn't at that point.

"Here you go, you've earned this," Kylo said, gently holding more chloroform to his nose. "When you wake up again, we'll be all alone and we'll have a lot more time to get to know each other. I might even try to get you something for the pain."

Hux nodded gratefully, not trying to get away from the chloroform this time and inhaling it deeply. He really hoped Kylo did get him something for the pain, he knew there would be a lot when he woke up. Blackness encroached his vision and then he passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

Once Hux was out, Kylo worked quickly and quietly, removing the remaining teeth he needed and refitting them into Timothy's mouth. When he finished, he re-checked Hux's bonds and gave him a few more whiffs of the chloroform to keep him out as long as possible. Hauling Timothy out to the van was easy, but all his whimpering was really getting on Kylo's nerves. He gripped the steering wheel tighter, imagining it was his throat. No. Not this time. You need him to die in the crash. He held it together long enough to see his plan through, and was pleased with his self-control. 

Back at Hux's car, Kylo laid a tarp down in the back seat to catch the blood, chucked Tim on top of it, and placed a cinder block on the floor of the back seat. Kylo drove them out to a secluded, narrow, winding road and lined the car up with the row of sturdy pines. He situated Timothy in the driver's seat, rammed his face repeatedly into the steering wheel until the front of his top and bottom jaw had disintegrated into a bloody pulp. The man's squeals and whines, rather than having their usual effect on Kylo, just infuriated him all the more. He wanted to choke him out, to make him shut up. No. No. You're almost through. Hurry up before someone comes along. 

Kylo turned the keys in the ignition, strapped Timothy in with the seatbelt, and placed the cinder block on the gas pedal before shifting the car into drive and slamming the door. As soon as the car rocketed off, Kylo was on the move chasing after it on foot. The squeal of tearing, twisting metal as the car wrapped itself around a tree was like a symphony to Kylo's ears. The engine was already smoking. He had to move fast. He reached the car just as something under the warped hood caught fire, flung open the door and pulled the cinder block out. Then he jogged off a good distance into the woods to watch and make sure the car went up in flames and burned long enough for his hard work to pay off. 

Afterwards he hefted the cinder block to his shoulder -- disposing of it here would be too suspicious -- and started the arduous hike back to the main road, where he could dump it and hopefully use his charms to thumb a ride back into town.

When Hux woke up, he was alone and the pain in his mouth was awful. He groaned at the incessant pounding in his head, glad that at least he had been unconscious for the other ones. He ran his tongue over the strange new spaces in his mouth. His mouth tasted like blood and he really needed some water and painkillers.

It was a long time before Kylo returned, but when he did he was in a good mood. His sense of accomplishment was like a high he'd never experienced before. But there was still one more thing to get done. He hopped down the last few steps and came over to crouch in front of Hux's chair. "I'm going to untie you now. I'm pretty sure you're in no place to try anything stupid, because you look like hell." Kylo held up a bottle of prescription painkillers, rattling it to get Hux's attention. "What I need from you now is a suicide note. And make it a good one. I know you've been chasing me for a long time. I guess the stress of all that failure finally got to you. Do it right, and do it quickly, and you'll earn yourself some of these bad boys."

Hux had to admit, even though he couldn't think very well through his pounding head, this was a good plan. He assumed Kylo had made whatever happened to him awful enough that the body would be mostly disfigured. Hux nodded, Kylo was right that he was in no state to do anything rash, and he /really/ wanted those painkillers.

Kylo untied his hands and handed him a notepad and pen. He was wearing his signature black leather gloves. Through the haze of pain, it took Hux a moment to realize that it was official FBI letterhead. Kylo had taken these things from his apartment. "Don't take too long to think about it. Suicides are usually spontaneous. Though, I know you've thought about it before, so this shouldn't be too much of a challenge."

Hux wondered where Kylo had gotten that notepad, but he supposed it didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. He tried to think of some code he could put in to tell the FBI he was still alive, deciding on a basic one since his brain wasn't working too well yet. He had just uncapped the pen when he looked up at Kylo in surprise. "How did you know that?"

"Oh, I've been watching through your webcam for years now. That little ritual you have, where you get all dressed up nice and then stand in front of the mirror with your gun to your head. And you ask yourself, 'Is today the day?' -- I learned to read lips all because I just had to know what you were saying -- and then you think about something for a while. Sometimes it's just a few minutes, sometimes it's like you just lose track of time and stand there for an hour. But then you always say, 'No, not today. Maybe tomorrow.' And go put the gun away and then chill out and go to bed or watch TV like nothing happened. It's fucking riveting, man. What are you thinking about when you're standing there?"

Hux was extremely disturbed by that fact. The fact that Kylo had seen his scars was bad enough, but this was something private. He didn't want anyone to see his moment of weakness. "I... it's none of your business," he said firmly. "My thoughts are private."

"Are they?" Kylo raised an eyebrow. He twirled the pill bottle between his fingers. Over and under, over and under...

Shit. Hux really needed those pills. "When I get into a dark place, I always try to think of the people I could help by staying alive. I try to remind myself how selfish I would be if I killed myself, but sometimes it's hard to get my head out of that spot," he answered reluctantly.

"What puts you in that dark place? Maybe you could write that down."

"If you want this to look like it could actually be from me, it won't get that personal," Hux said. "I don't share too many personal things with people, even friends." He thought for a moment before writing: Life haas been too much latelly. Kylo Ren contiinues to evvade me, and I feeel personally responsible for the victims he kills. Armitage Hux He passed the notepad to Kylo. "There. Can I have the pills now?"

"In a minute." Kylo stared at the note for a moment, smiling as he read it, and then took it over to the desk. Hux couldn't see what he was doing over there but it was a good five minutes or so before he came back. When he returned he held up the forged version. "I think this is better, don't you? Without the coded message?" Kylo backhanded him across the jaw without any warning. He started pacing, agitated. "I told you not to try anything stupid. I really, really thought you were smarter than this."

Shit. He was better than Hux had thought. He bit his lip to keep from whimpering as the backhand hit where his teeth were missing, causing a wave of pain to roll through him. "Had to try." Talking hurt but he had to get this out, had to get Kylo to trust him again. "I have friends. Didn't want them... to worry. You're... right though. Was stupid. They're nothing compared to you, Kylo. And... like this we can be together."

"Friends," Kylo snorted. "You don't have anyone. Not even family." He yanked Hux's hands behind his back again and viciously looped the ropes around them, securing them much tighter than before. "Any medical allergies I should know about?" He popped the lid off the pill bottle.

Hux bristled a bit at that, but he knew it was true so he didn't say anything. He winced when Kylo pulled his arms behind his back, the rope cutting into where his wrists were rubbed raw. "No," Hux shook his head, looking eagerly at the pill bottle.

"Good, because this is all I have, and once it's gone, it's gone." Kylo placed a sports bottle between Hux's legs. "It's water. Don't worry, it's not poisoned. There wouldn't be any point to that. I think you're flexible enough to reach. Open up." He pulled two pills from the bottle and held them out for Hux to lick off his hand.

Hux was glad that he was still getting pain pills even though he had gotten caught. He looked at Kylo's hand for a moment, wondering if he should save his dignity, but decided his pain was too bad and licked the two pills off Kylo's palm. He struggled for a moment to pick the water bottle up, but he managed to get it to his lips and drink it without spilling too much. "Thank you, Kylo, I really appreciate it," Hux said, knowing Kylo could have withheld the pills, but he didn't, and that was something he definitely needed to be thanked for.

"You're welcome. I have to say, I'm really pleased that you're trusting me now. Hold still." Kylo ran his fingers through Hux's hair, putting the errant strands back into place, and carefully dabbed away his residual tears with the note. "There. That should really sell it. I hope they test it. I'll have to leave it at the crime scene; they must be all over your apartment by now."

Hux felt a little wave of hopelessness run through him. Kylo was very good, he doubted he would leave any evidence behind that he had been there. And suicides weren't usually looked into too hard, especially if there was a note and a good reason for killing themselves, both of which Hux had. He made sure his face showed none of this, though, and he was very good at controlling his expressions.

"I might stop by there later though, once they're gone. Anything you want? I'm guessing it will only be a few days before they throw it all out or whatever it is that they do with people's things when no one cares about them."

That last part stung slightly, but it was true. Nobody cared enough to go through his things, and find little keepsakes that reminded them of him and take them home, put them in a special place. Well, no one besides Kylo. He thought for a moment. "There's a box under my bed that's filled with personal things, sentimental things. I would appreciate it if you would get that for me."

"I'll do that for you. I hope you appreciate the danger I'm putting myself in for this." He looked Hux over, an almost motherly concern showing through. "You should be feeling better soon. I gave you a Percocet and a Vicodin. I had to make sure it lasted because I'll be gone for a long time today. At least once this is all over we can start getting more comfortable with each other."

"I really do, Kylo, thank you." He nodded, forcing a smile onto his face. "Yes, that would be nice."

"Don't do that. Don't try to play into my fantasy. You still think you're going to get out of this if you flatter me, but the truth is, you still want out." He started pacing again, but this time he was trying to control his breathing. "I'm a psychologist, for fuck's sake. You think I don't know a fake smile when I see one? When you thanked me, just now, that was real. You should have left it at that. You keep forgetting I've had almost all of the same training as you." He stopped pacing and flexed his gloved hands a few times. "I've got to get out of here."

Hux watched Kylo warily when he started getting worked up, but he looked like he was trying to control himself and he didn't hit him again. He was right about that, though, he was sure he would be able to tell when Hux was lying, so telling the truth and being compliant would probably be his best strategy.

Kylo gave him an ambiguous look and left.


	4. Chapter 4

Kylo laid out a tarp in the back of the van, folded the seats aside, and rolled his motorcycle into the back, making sure the treads didn't slip off the tarp and leave marks on the carpet. Driving back to the park, he cruised past Hux's apartment to see if the police or his FBI buddies were there.

Hux was exhausted. This day had been a long one, both mentally and physically, and even though he didn't have a way to tell the time down here he doubted it was over yet. Still, it would be better if he was well rested for when Kylo returned, for whatever he had planned. He closed his eyes, let his head slip to the side, and fell asleep.

Kylo drove to the other side of the lake and parked the van. He wheeled his bike out the back, rolled up the tarp and stuffed it into the saddle bags, then walked out to the crime scene from yesterday. He put on an ill-fitting pair of old shoes that he'd taken from Hux's apartment weeks ago and walked out to a tree near where the body had been found. He nailed the suicide note to the tree and hurried back to his bike, checking from the path that the note could easily be seen. Satisfied, he changed back into his boots and crammed the shoes in with the tarp for later disposal. No longer in need of the van, he left it parked some distance away and rode his motorcycle over to the cafe across from Hux's apartment. Waiting and watching. The cops gave up long before the FBI did. A young female agent came out to have a smoke break and cry every so often. She was also a red-head, but Kylo was certain she wasn't related. Hux's only family was his father, who still lived somewhere over in New York, where Hux had been born. Kylo wondered if she was just an acquaintance or had a secret crush on Hux, and if she was going to be a problem or not. They spent most of the day there, until about 3pm before the female agent seemed to get an idea. She pulled a laptop from her briefcase and sat outside, looking something up for a few minutes before rushing back inside. She must have traced the GPS on his car. A flurry of motion inside the apartment moved outside as they picked up shop and moved to the other side of the lake. Kylo left the cafe and sat on a bench with his camera, watching through the lens as they found and bagged the suicide note and took more pictures of the scene. He waited another hour, just to be sure, before letting himself into Hux's apartment. He was careful to avoid the window, knowing full well what kind of view it offered anyone who might be looking. There was surprisingly little in his apartment: no matter how many times Kylo had snuck in here, it never failed to amaze him how much alike they really were. Hux was not a sentimental man or a man of many possessions. Taking his time, he sat on Hux's only chair and looked over his DVD collection, seeing what he'd added since Kylo's last visit. Hux seemed to have diverse taste in movies: a mixture of art films and action movies lined the shelf in alphabetical order. He wondered which one was his favorite. Kylo made his way to the bedroom and laid on Hux's bed, turning his head into the pillow and breathing deeply of his scent. He stayed there awhile, becoming giddy over the thought that he'd soon have Hux sleeping next to him every night. Sighing, he rolled off the bed and looked under it for the box. He slid it out, delaying his gratification by appreciating the simple, handmade wooden box and wondering if Hux had made it himself. Shaking it gently, like a kid at Christmas, he tried to guess what was inside. Some papers, perhaps, but not much else. Opening it, he was surprised to see only three things inside. An old boarding pass from New York to Seattle, a photo of a young woman who shared Hux's greenish blue eyes and fiery hair, and some seashells. The first two he understood, but the shells he would have to ask about. He tucked the box under his arm and went to the closet to grab some fresh clothes for Hux, as well as one of Hux's t-shirts for himself. Then he headed back home. Hux was still asleep when he got back. Kylo crouched in front of him and watched him until he woke up. Lightly, so as not to disturb him, Kylo traced his fingers over his high cheekbones and full lips, which were still caked with blood.

When Hux woke up, his pain was a dull ache that was manageable. He was a little groggy from the pills, though. He had a crick in his neck from sleeping in a chair, and rolled it around. He opened his eyes to see Kylo crouching in front of him. "Kylo. You're back. Did you bring me my box?"

"I did. Did you sleep well?" Kylo walked around behind him and started massaging his shoulders and neck.

"Thank you, Kylo, that box means a lot to me." He was sure the other man had already looked inside, he had no sense of privacy. "As well as I could sleep on a chair," he said. Kylo’s fingers felt like heaven on his tense muscles, and he closed his eyes in bliss.

"Sorry. I should have let you sleep on the bed, but you made me so mad. I thought it better that I leave. Maybe later tonight." Kylo went over to the table and brought the box over, opening it to show Hux that everything was there as it should be.

"It's alright," Hux said. "I'd rather have slept in the chair than have you hit me again." He glanced over at the box, feeling the stirring of emotions from within him at the sight of them.

"Well, now that you've learned to stop playing me, I hope that won't be an issue." Kylo sat down on the wire frame of the now empty bed and looked Hux in the eye. "So, I get the plane ticket: I'm guessing that's the day you ran away. And the woman in the picture: your mother? But what are the shells?"

"Yes, that was my mother. And the shells are from the beach where we spread my mother’s ashes," Hux said, looking away from Kylo’s direct gaze. He didn't like sharing anything this personal with anyone, but Kylo could do whatever he wanted to Hux, and it was best to keep him happy. "I was too young to really know her, but my father said she loved the ocean."

"It sounds like you miss her, even though you say you didn't know her very well. She's very pretty. You have her eyes."

"Yes, well, she was my mother and she was kind," Hux said, looking back at Kylo. "We were happy, before she died." Her death had twisted his father, made him a horrible person. But Hux knew in his own way he was trying to prepare him for anything so he wouldn't lose him as well. And how ironic for him that right when Hux turned 18 he bought a plane ticket out of there, not even leaving a note telling him where he was gone. He didn't feel bad at all about that, his father had abused him and he knew that.

"Hmm. I take it your father became abusive after she died?" Kylo leaned in, absorbed in the details of his life. After all, this was his job and he was quite good at getting people like Hux to open up.

"Yes," Hux said. "He still loved me, in his way, but losing my mother broke him. So, what about you, Kylo? Am I allowed to ask about your family?”

"I'm not so sure I'd call that love. Children have died from less. You must have been very young when he started." Kylo tilted his head considering Hux's request. "That's not usually how therapy works, but since we're trying to get to know each other, it's only fair. Ask away."

"Yes, I am very much aware that he was awful and abusive."

"I wasn't aware this was a therapy session." Hux raised an eyebrow. "Am I going to have to pay you? I don't have much money in my wallet, unfortunately."

He thought for a moment. "What were your parents like?"

Kylo noted his defensiveness. "Well, being aware of and acknowledging an abusive situation is actually a very big step. What can I say? I enjoy my job. I like helping people." He shrugged. "My parents are very accommodating. I never wanted for anything. Love, attention, security, I pretty much had it all. Does that surprise you? I bet your criminologists have me all wrong."

Hux snorted. "The serial killer says he likes helping people, that's rich."

He raised an eyebrow. He actually was surprised by that. "Then how did you end up killing people?"

Kylo's eyes narrowed again. "I thought we were sharing, here, and there you are, judging me. I graciously opened up to you and you don't believe me. I'm not sure why I should answer you anymore."

"You must admit it's a bit of an oxymoron to say you like helping people while at the same time you're killing them. Unless you're a psychopath, in which case I'm sure that makes perfect sense in your head."

"Psychopath and sociopath are such controversial terms. I told you, I'm a practicing psychologist and a clinical therapist. I've actually worked with the FBI on numerous occasions."

"Yes, I suppose being crazy must help you understand your patients and other crazy people."

"I rather think it's crazy to be tied to a chair in a serial killer's basement and be goading him."

Hux supposed that was true, he didn't want to push Kylo too far. "You didn't answer my question about how you became a killer."

"That's simple. You made me into this."

"And how exactly did I do that?"

"Were you impressed by my skill?"

"Yes, I am impressed by your skill. That doesn't mean it's right, though."

"But I did this for you. You love your work. It's really all you have in your life. I thought you might enjoy trying to make the catch of your career."

Hux blinked at him. "Yes, well, I must admit it was quite thrilling to be matched against someone who is as smart as me for once. So, you just fell in love with me in high school and you've watched me ever since?"

"I followed you all the way here from NYC." He smiled, hoping he'd be impressed.

"Really?" Hux asked. "That's impressive. I didn't even tell my father where I was going. The fact that you managed to track me here is quite something."

"Tracked you? Oh, no. I was on the same flight."

Hux raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's even more impressive." And he really did admire Kylo. It was hard to find someone that matched his intellect that he could interact with, and even though that person had him tied up in a basement, he still admired his intelligence.

"Hold on a minute." Kylo dashed out of the room. Hux could hear him thumping up the stairs and rummaging around for something before returning just as quickly. When he returned, he flashed a boarding pass in front of him. It was the same flight, same seat, one row behind Hux's.

Hux waited for Kylo to return. He had memorized everything about his ticket, it was his way out, his fresh start.

"One seat behind me, even," Hux said, actually impressed. "That's quite something, Kylo. You're a genius. And I don't throw that term around lightly.”

Kylo grinned, ecstatic at earning Hux's praise.

Hux’s stomach growled and he remembered he hadn't eaten yet that day. He wasn't a breakfast person, preferring to just have coffee instead. "Do I get to eat something or not?" Even though the thought of eating made the empty spaces in his mouth ache, he knew he needed to eat if he could.

"Oh! Sorry, I made something for us last night. Let me go heat it up."

Kylo went upstairs again, making noises that sounded like banging around in a kitchen. He came back a while later with a bowl of something that smelled delicious.

Hux let out a little sigh of relief that what Kylo was bringing looked like he wouldn't have to chew and smelled amazing, making his stomach growl again.

"I figured you wouldn't be able to chew so I made some soup." He set it down and moved behind Hux to free his hands.

"Thank you, Kylo, that's very thoughtful of you."

He smiled, "I hope you like it. It's my mother's recipe. She taught me how to cook." Kylo passed him the bowl and then went back upstairs to get his own bowl.

Hux was glad that his hands were free but his feet were still tied. He doubted he could untie himself and make it to the tools before Kylo came back. He could throw his soup on him but that would probably just make him angry since it wasn't hot enough to do any real damage.

He sat there and docilely and ate his soup instead. And it was actually very good.

Kylo came back in less than a minute, confirming Hux's guess that he couldn't have done anything reasonable to affect his escape.

"Do you like it?"

Kylo sat across from him again, unafraid of any possible retaliation from the unrestrained Hux.

"Yes, it's very good, Kylo," Hux said. "I can't cook at all so I always appreciate those who can." He took another spoonful.

"I'm pretty good, I like to think. It's a hobby of mine. You know, besides the stalking and the killing." He smiled at his own joke, hoping Hux would appreciate it, too.

"So, there's a fully functioning toilet and shower down here. And once I get all of these other things cleared out and make sure there's nothing you can hurt yourself with, you'll have free reign down here. Well, as far as your chain will reach, anyway." He motioned down to Hux's left ankle, which had a sturdy, metal cuff and long, coiled chain attached to it.

Hux snorted. "Yes, it's always good to have other hobbies besides stalking and killing."

He was glad he wouldn't have to go to the bathroom in a bucket and he'd be able to keep clean. Being able to walk would also be very nice, but the cuff and chain would get annoying fast.

He nodded to show he had understood and kept eating his soup. "Do I get regular meals?"

"Of course." Kylo looked surprised. "I'm not an animal. So long as you cooperate, you'll be quite comfortable here. And as soon as I'm done, I'll bring in the new mattress for this so you can lie down for a while. I have something I need to go check on tonight. I trust you'll be fine on your own for a while with some more painkillers."

Hux nodded. "That's good to know. And yes, some more painkillers would be nice." He was glad that Kylo’s being in love with him would make this experience not as bad as it could be. As long as he didn't get caught doing anything stupid, Kylo had already proven his tolerance and patience for him was very small.

"That reminds me, who's the red-head from your office? Is she going to be a problem?"

"Red head?" Hux asked, before nodding. "Oh. You mean Claire, I'm assuming. She's had a crush on me for a while. She shouldn't be a problem though." But even as he said it he felt a little bit of hopefulness. Claire was smart, maybe she'd look into this more than the others, not just dismiss it as a suicide.

"She seemed quite affected by your death. I would hate to think she might... become overly involved in it."

Kylo finished his soup and reached out to take Hux's empty bowl as well. "Seconds?"

"Did she?" Hux asked curiously. Maybe there had been someone to cry for him when he was 'dead', which made him feel a little better. And hopefully that would make her less willing to accept his death as a suicide.

He shook his head, holding out his bowl for Kylo to take. "No."

"She cried for you. Several times. Not in front of the other agents, though. Seems you had someone who cared about you after all." Kylo stood up and went over to the table at the far end of the room. The bowls clinked as he set them down. He unzipped a duffel bag and took out the clothes he'd removed from Hux's apartment (still on the hangers, so that no one would notice anything missing if they looked in his closet). He hung them all up in a small closet and went back to grab a change of underwear and socks, and Hux's pajamas. He didn't laugh at them, even though they were a horribly old-fashioned, long-sleeved shirt and pants set that looked like something his great grandfather would have worn. He understood Hux's desire to remain unseen, even by himself.

"Alright then, here's how this works. I'll unlock the cuff when you step into the bathroom. Get yourself cleaned up and dressed, and then you'll put your foot back out and I'll re-lock it. I don't think I need to remind you what will happen if you try to escape, but since you're still learning my boundaries, I'll be happy to demonstrate once more if you feel you need a reminder."

Hux was a little surprised but happy to see Kylo had brought some of his clothes.

"I definitely don't need a reminder," Hux said. His teeth ached at the thought. He didn't want to try to escape until he knew for sure he could make it, otherwise it would just result in unnecessary pain and make Kylo more vigilant.

"Good."

Kylo untied him completely and helped him stand. Guiding him over to the bathroom door, he made another quick scan of the area, looking for anything Hux could possibly use as a weapon. Not finding anything, he smiled in satisfaction, unlocked the ankle cuff and handed him his clothes.

"There's a new toothbrush in there, soap, towels. Everything you need. No razor though. If you want a shave, you'll have to trust me to do it."

Hux muscles protested slightly when he got up after sitting for so long, and he resisted the urge to brush Kylo off and tell him he could walk on his own. For one, being rude to him would be stupid, and secondly, him appearing as weak as possible would be beneficial.

Hux took his clothes and nodded, frowning a bit. He hated stubble, and he hated having a beard even more. He trusted Kylo wouldn't kill him on a whim, he 'loved' him too much for that. And it might be a good opportunity to slit Kylo's throat and run if he left his hands untied.

He walked into the bathroom, closing the door and setting his clothes down on the counter. He looked for anything that could be used as a blunt weapon, but there was nothing and he swallowed his disappointment. He showered quickly and efficiently like he always did, avoiding looking at himself in the mirror until he was fully dressed. He brushed his teeth, then, feeling much better now that he was clean even though his mouth was starting to ache again, he opened the door slowly and stuck his foot out, keeping his hands in plain sight so Kylo could see he wasn't going to try anything.

Kylo snapped the cuff back on him and locked it securely to the chain. When he backed away so that Hux could come out, he could see that Kylo had actually not been there while he was showering. There was a new mattress with clean sheets and a blanket, and two pillows, and all of the "tools" he had laid out on the far table were gone. On the bed was a first aid kit, and Kylo patted the bed, inviting Hux to sit down next to him.

Hux walked over to the bed and sat next to Kylo, the chain dragging behind him in a strange way. "I would appreciate it if you would shave me at least once a week, I hate stubble." He looked over at the two pillows. "Are we going to be sleeping together?" he asked warily, not looking forward to that if it was true.

Kylo smiled at the thought. "Not unless you want me to. I don't think we're quite there yet. I just noticed you had two on your bed, and I wasn't sure if you preferred one or two."

Kylo opened the first aid kit and took out some alcohol swabs and gauze. "Sorry," he said, taking one of Hux's hands into his, "this probably won't feel too good, but it's better than dying of an infection. You cut yourself up pretty badly on those ropes."

He swabbed the abrasions with a surprising gentleness, and wrapped the gauze bandages around and fastened them expertly.

"Oh, before I forget..." He fished the pill bottle out of his pocket and handed Hux one of the Vicodin. "I left you two water bottles on the nightstand and some snacks in the drawer. If it gets too cold or you need anything, there's an intercom panel here." He motioned to the wall behind the bed.

"Ah," Hux said, surprised by his thoughtfulness. "But no, I'd rather sleep by myself."

Hux winced slightly when Kylo cleaned his wrists, it stung badly, but he was right, an infection would be much less pleasant.

Hux took the pill gratefully, that would make it much easier for him to sleep and in less pain. "That's very thoughtful of you, Kylo," Hux said, though he doubted he would use the intercom unless it was an emergency. Disturbing a serial killer while they were sleeping was not smart.

"Would you mind if I went to sleep now?" he asked. "It's been a long day."

"Not at all. We can talk more in the morning."


	5. Chapter 5

Kylo gathered up the first aid kit and looked around the room once more, making sure he hadn't left anything that Hux could use in a deleterious manner. All of the furniture that was left was metal and had been bolted to the floor, then welded so that the screws couldn't be removed. The floor was solid concrete with no carpet, which made for much easier cleanup of blood and other things, and also meant that there were no nails that could be extracted. There were no exposed beams in case he tried to hang himself, though Kylo didn't think that would be a concern.

A small window met the ceiling on Hux's side of the room, but it had been sealed and shuttered from the outside with a heavy, custom-made sound-proofed box. The builder hadn't even questioned his need for it. In Seattle, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who was not a musician with a basement studio. It could still be opened, and Kylo intended to use that as part of a reward system. Being able to control every aspect of Hux's environment would be crucial to breaking him down sooner.

The table at the far end, and the closet, were out of reach for Hux's chain, even if he were to lie down and extend his arms. Even so, Kylo had removed anything dangerous that might tempt him to try, except for one scalpel. He left it just at the edge of the table, as though it had almost rolled off while he was cleaning up and had gone forgotten, its stainless steel shine blending in with that of the table.

It was a test, of course, and Kylo was eager to go upstairs and observe him through the multiple cameras and microphones he'd hidden throughout the basement. This was going to be one of the best nights of his life.

He left, calling back, "Sleep well," from the top of the stairs and turned off the lights. The only light left was a small, adjustable night light that had been plugged in under the table and set to its lowest setting.

When Kylo had left, Hux put the pill on the nightstand. He would take it later but he needed to be alert for this part. He checked everywhere for anything he could use as a weapon, but didn't find anything.

He looked over at the table and thought he saw something gleaming in the light of the night light. He walked over and felt a little flutter of hope when he saw a scalpel. Maybe Kylo had forgotten it when he had picked up the tools. He walked forward to grab it, but no matter how much he stretched he couldn't reach it.

He frowned, thinking for a minute before he went into the bathroom. The toothbrush should be long enough to reach it, and the bristles were still hard due to it being new, so he could use the bristles to sweep the scalpel off the table where he could grab it.

He very carefully scooted the scalpel toward the edge, and when it fell to the floor with a clatter he grinned triumphantly, picking it up.

He would be able to kill Kylo with it, but it would be best if he didn't have to cut his foot off as well to get out of here, so he hid it in one of the drawers in the bathroom. He could use it when he was uncuffed, that would make things much easier.

After that, he took the pill and got into bed.

Kylo watched all of this unfold with a detached sort of amusement. It fascinated him to see Hux's intellect at work, particularly his choice to hide the scalpel in the bathroom, where he would be unshackled, rather than in the mattress or some other close-at-hand location.

It also saddened him that he would have to teach Hux a lesson yet again. He was confident that the smaller man, though athletic and trained in close combat, could not hope to take him on in a hand-to-hand fight. Armed or not, he had nothing on Kylo's raw strength.

He wondered how many lessons it would take before Hux's tendency to equate abuse with love would resurface. Clearly, it still existed from the defensiveness he'd assumed when speaking of his father.

When Kylo was sure Hux was asleep he focused his attentions on his computer. He'd copied Hux's contacts into his own cell phone, and searched for a "Claire". It was a short list anyway -- Hux only had work-related contacts -- but Kylo was surprised that she existed. He hadn't lied about her name in an effort to protect her. Kylo must have come off as more trustworthy and sincere than he'd thought.

He looked up her info online, and quickly corroborated the various pieces of information to find out where she lived. Snatching up his keys, he checked that he could access the monitors in the basement through the app on his phone, and snuck out of the house.

It was time to pay Claire a visit.

Claire was convinced that Hux's death wasn't a suicide. It had been too convenient that Hux had only just committed suicide when Kylo Ren had been killing people that looked like him for so long. She knew Kylo Ren had killed him, even though nobody believed her. She was looking into it in her own time, though, trying to find Kylo Ren so that she could avenge Hux. On this particular night, she was on her computer, researching some things that she hoped would help her find Kylo Ren.

Kylo had to drive around for a while before he could find a reliable place to stake out her house, which was located in a suburban neighborhood. She was younger than he had first assumed, and still living at home with her parents.

This could be a problem.

First things first, he pulled out his laptop and established a connection to her wireless network. Soon he'd hacked into the cameras in her laptop and nearby TV. Kylo watched as she typed in various search terms and waited to see what connections she was making about him.

Claire pulled up some pages on crimes of passion. She had been the one that convinced the others that Kylo Ren loved Hux in a weird way, since all the bodies were arranged in romantic positions. She read that the object of affection was usually not killed unless they made the killer mad. And Hux was too smart to do that, wasn’t he? Maybe he was alive after all. She felt a little smile dance across her face. She would have to check the remains the next day at work, just to make sure. If she could convince the FBI of this, they would definitely come down with all their manpower to make sure Hux was found.

Kylo frowned and tried to formulate a quick plan. So far she just seemed to be taking up the slack on his case. That would be fairly normal. Perhaps there was no need to do anything tonight.

Kylo downloaded copies of her email and closed the notebook, stowing it and checking in on Hux in the monitors on his phone.

Claire knew the crime scene where they had found Hux's crashed car hadn't been looked over too closely when they saw the suicide note, so she decided to go take a closer look.  
She told her parents she would be back soon and got into her car, driving to the crime scene.

Well, this was interesting...

Kylo revved up his bike and took off after her. He followed at a distance until he saw where she was headed.

He became steadily more agitated the more certain he was that she was going to the site of the crash. When she pulled off to the deserted road, he considered that it might look too obvious if he followed her in. He decided to pass her and go farther up the highway to come at her from the opposite direction. Getting close to where the wreck had happened, Kylo pulled over, hid his motorcycle behind some bushes, and approached carefully on foot.

Claire parked away from the crime scene. She ducked under the tape, looking into the car. Now that she thought about it, she wondered where Hux had gotten such a heavy-duty nail for his suicide note. He wasn't an outdoors person. It also seemed more likely he would leave the note in his apartment... unless he couldn't because the FBI and cops were already swarming over it. She smirked. "I knew it was Kylo," she said, walking back to her car.

Kylo realized he was being too noisy in the dark woods, and decided to turn back for a more obvious approach. He roared past on his motorcycle then turned around and rolled up right in front of her, stopping between her and her car. He smiled his most winning grin and waved disarmingly. "Hey there, I noticed your car pulled over. Need some help?"

Claire looked over at the man. "I'm all right," she said, smiling at him. "Thanks for checking, though."

"Oh, ok," he said and shrugged, waiting with his thumbs hooked in his jeans until she was closer. "It's just that it's really dark out here and it's not exactly the safest place." As she came within reach he punched her savagely in the face.

"I'm with the FBI so I'm not too worried," she assured him. She was thrown back a few steps at the punch, gathering her wits for a moment before she started to run.

"Shit."

Kylo swore and took off after her. She was stronger than he estimated. He had been hoping to knock her out cold and avoid signs of a struggle.

Running up behind her he quickly overtook her and swept her up with one arm around her waist and the other around her neck, putting her into a sleeper hold.

This was less than ideal. He knew he should just kill her and be done with it, but doing it here would raise too many suspicions. He was also pissed that he'd have to leave his bike here and take her car, which surely had a tracker on it as well.

She finally quit fighting and went limp in his arms.

"Shit," he said again.

He decided to just hold her in front of him and take her home in the bike. Hopefully he wouldn't encounter any police or concerned bystanders along the way.

He made it back home with little trouble, except that Claire was starting to come around again. Pulling straight into the garage he tossed her to the floor, stood the motorcycle in the corner and hit her again until she passed out.

The basement wasn't configured for guests at the moment, but he could make do. He hauled her down the stairs and roped her to the bannister out of Hux's reach.


	6. Chapter 6

Hux stirred when he heard footsteps and something heavy being dragged down the stairs. He watched Kylo tie a woman to the banister. From this distance and with the low lighting, combined with the fact that the woman's head was down, her hair covering her face, he couldn't tell who she was. "Who is that, Kylo?" he asked warily.

"Your goddamned friend, that's who!"

"Friend... you mean Claire!?" he exclaimed, getting out of bed to get a closer look. Shit. It was her. "Kylo, I'm sure she won't tell anyone, just let her go. Kidnapping two FBI agents isn't a smart move."

"No, Captain Obvious, it's fucking not! But I couldn't very well whack her at the goddamned crime scene, could I?" He turned to scream at the unconscious Claire, spittle flying in her face, "Just couldn't leave it alone could you? Stupid cunt!"

He punctuated the last swear with a backhand to her face.

Claire jerked awake when she was backhanded, looking into the man she had been kidnapped by's furious face. She looked past him to see Hux and a broad smile came on her face. His ankle was chained, but besides that he didn't look too bad.

"Hux! You're alive, I was right!" That must mean the man that was standing in front of her was Kylo Ren. "I'm sorry, Hux, I tried to rescue you."

"It's fine, Claire, you did great," Hux said in a soothing voice, knowing that Kylo was probably going to kill her now.

"Yeah, she did really great. Getting in the fucking way!" He punched her again, harder this time.

Claire's nose crunched and blood started running down her face from her broken nose. Her face was still screwed up determinedly though.

"Shit! I just fucking cleaned down here!" Kylo marched back upstairs and started pulling heavy things across the floor.

"Well, I'm glad I at least got to see you again, Hux," Claire said. "I never got to say goodbye, before. So, goodbye, Hux. I always admired you and thought you were extremely handsome. Are you... all right, here?"

Hux smiled sadly at her. "Goodbye, Claire. And… yes, he treats me all right."

Her face relaxed a little. "Then I can die in peace knowing he's not torturing you."

"Oh, Christ! How many shitty romance movies have you been watching?" Kylo shouted, dragging a tarp laden with heavy chains, ropes, knives, and God-knew what else, down the stairs. "Everyone says that shit, until the torture starts."

Claire and Hux both looked warily at the tarp.

"Fuck off, Kylo," Claire said. "You are going to be screwed when the FBI finds you. And they will, you can't just cover up my death like you did Hux’s."

"But your death will take precedence over Hux's suicide, and goes back to your regular investigation of me. Which gets you exactly jack and shit. Because you had nothing on me to begin with! Stupid bitch, you think you're going to die in peace? You'll be begging me to kill him instead before this night is over!"

Claire glared at him, but she knew he was right. Hux was the only one who could have ever stood a chance of finding Kylo, and now that he had been kidnapped they would probably never find him.

His voice dropped from furious screeching to a menacing low growl. "But you... You had to go and fuck everything up. Getting in the goddamned way. He's mine."

Kylo stomped upstairs again and disappeared somewhere where they couldn't hear him stomping around.

"Hux doesn't belong to anyone, especially not a fucked-up psychopath," Claire returned.

Kylo knew he had fucked up. By now someone had probably found her car, but he wondered if anyone would have reported it... It didn't matter. He could hardly make her disappearance look like a suicide too. She was right. They might have taken Hux's death as a suicide, but with two FBI agents out of the picture they might look into both. He had to hope that what they'd left of Hux's "dental record" would be enough to dissuade them. Maybe he would get lucky and they'd think this was just a rage killing since the object of his desire had "gotten away" by killing himself.

Well, it was going to be.

He rummaged around in the garage looking for his machete, tossing things aside and making a complete mess in his fury.

Hux wished he could hold Claire's hand or something to reassure her until Kylo came back, but he couldn't reach her and she was tied up anyway. Instead he tried to give her as much support with his gaze as he could.

Kylo stormed back down to the basement and tossed the machete into the tarp. It clattered against the other metal things concealed inside. Kylo gave Claire a kick as he walked past her and hauled the tarp the rest of the way down the stairs.

It was out of reach, but Hux could see what was in there now that it was on the floor: hammers, wrenches, pliers, knives and assorted medical tools he hadn't seen since his time in the cadaver lab at university, when he'd had to pass the autopsy evaluation course.

Kylo began laying the tools out on the table, slamming them down so that they clanked ominously. Finally, he dragged a length of heavy duty chain across the floor and ran it through a giant metal ring that was cemented into the far wall.

Hux and Claire watched silently as Kylo laid his tools out, Hux a little impressed he had managed to get so many and Claire's heartbeat starting to increase from fear.

Kylo pulled the now empty tarp over and laid it out under the chains that dangled from the wall. Then he went back for Claire. Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he slammed her head into the banister a few times to disorient her, removed her gun from her belt holster and tossed it up the stairs, and pulled the handcuffs out of their leather holder. He untied her and dragged her down the stairs by her hair, tossing her against the wall like a sack of trash.

He grabbed her wrists, snapped the handcuffs around them and threaded the chain between them, hoisting her up by it until she hung from the wall with her arms above her head.

Claire saw stars when her head was slammed into the balcony. She struggled as much as she could when Kylo pulled her down the stairs, but she was dizzy and he had too much muscle. She tried to stand up when she was thrown against the wall, but her wrists were pulled above her head.

"I'm not a psychopath, bitch. I'm a sociopath. Get it right. And Hux is mine.”

Claire opened her mouth to protest, but Hux shot her a look, not wanting her to make this more painful than it had to be by goading Kylo. "You're right, Kylo, I'm yours. Is there anything I could do for you to get you to kill her painlessly?"

Kylo turned around, a look of complete bewilderment on his face. "Well, I was just about to prove my point by fucking you while she watches. What do you say to that?"

Hux swallowed. He had no desire to have sex with Kylo, the idea was unappealing... but if it got Kylo to kill Claire without torture than he supposed it would be worth it. "If... if you promise to kill her painlessly, with no torture, then I'll agree to that."

"You know I can just take whatever I want. From both of you. Why would you trust me?"

Hux nodded. "You can. And I don't know enough about you to know if you'll keep your word, but it's worth a try."

Kylo stared at him for a long time, considering. He was going to have sex with Hux at some point anyway. Why give up his fun?

"I find it interesting that you're so willing to throw yourself at me. Or that you don't think we're going to make love at some point. But I think I'd rather express my displeasure at having our time together interrupted." He picked up a bone saw and waved it in the dim light. "What do you think, Claire? You want me to fuck your crush? Or do you want to lose a finger?"

Claire's eyes nervously flicked between Hux and Kylo. "Lose a finger," she answered. To her, seeing Hux get fucked in front of her would be worse than any torture.

"Are you sure?" He grinned and ran the edge of the saw lightly over her arm, drawing a thin line of blood.

She gritted her teeth and nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

"I'll tell you what... If you can make it through three fingers, without screaming, I'll fuck him gently. Otherwise... well... it's on you."

She looked over at Hux again. "I can do it."

"We'll see."

Kylo grabbed her hand and looked back at the table. He swore and let go of her, heading off up the stairs again.

"Don't go anywhere," he quipped.

Hux snorted in a strange moment of amusement, knowing that he and Claire were both chained, there was no way they could go anywhere.

Kylo rummaged around above them for something and then came skipping down the stairs with a blowtorch in hand. "Almost forgot. Wouldn't want you bleeding out everywhere."  
He grinned and grabbed her hand again. Splaying out her fingers between his, he held the saw up to the first joint of her index finger and slowly started cutting through.

Claire paled slightly at the sight of the blowtorch. She bit her lip at the first sharp shoot of pain, it was an awful feeling as the saw started cutting into her finger, she could feel the skin break and the saw start to go deeper.

It made a sickening pop when it sunk into the socket of the joint and slid through the rest of the way without much effort on Kylo's part. He put the saw down on the table and picked up the blowtorch, firing it off a few times to check it had enough fuel. Pinning her hand against the wall he held the flame just close enough that the heat built up to intolerable levels before her skin started bubbling, turning a bloated red before blackening and eventually blanching white.

Claire kept her teeth gritted together to keep from letting any sounds escape. She let out a little whimper when the saw slid through the remaining muscle, and then it was gone. When she felt the blowtorch on her stump of a finger, it was pain like she hadn't felt before. Her face contorted and she started to scream, but she remembered Hux and managed to swallow most of it, only letting out a high-pitched whine.

"Oh, Claire, I don't think you're gonna make it through 9 more of these."

"N-Nine?" Claire stuttered, looking over at Kylo. He was right, she probably wouldn't last but maybe if she was lucky she would pass out before she screamed.

"I said three fingers. I didn't say how many cuts." He smiled. "You made a deal with the Devil. Did you expect him to keep to the letter of the law?"

Claire looked between him and Hux once more, then gritted her teeth again. "Just get it over with."

"I didn't say how fast either."

"Yes, we understand, you're in control," Claire spat. The part of the finger she had lost was throbbing painfully.

"Good. That is exactly what you both need to understand. You live and die at my whim. The thing is, you see, pain is far more difficult to endure--" he chopped the saw through the next joint without any warning and fired the flames directly down on it "--when it comes unexpectedly."

Yet again, Claire barely held back a scream, letting out a choked gurgle instead. God, it hurt, and Kylo was right when he said it would hurt more, fuck.

Kylo was impressed; she was a lot more resilient than he would have expected. He got down to the largest knuckle and started to saw through, but left the saw in halfway and used the torch to heat up the blade so that the heat spread slowly through the saw and into her finger.

"You know, Hux, I'm surprised you haven't offered yourself up at this point. You could stop this at any point. Or are you waiting it out and hoping for the slow fuck?"

Kylo looked over his shoulder at Hux. "No guarantee I'd take you up on your offer, since I'm quite enjoying this, but not very chivalrous of you to just watch like that."

This was too much pain, this was cheating, Claire couldn't handle it. She started out screaming hoarsely, but she muffled it by biting her lip so hard she bit through it. No, she could do it, she could do it for Hux.

Hux glanced over at Kylo, brightening a little. "Really? I offered myself before and you said it was her choice, but I'm willing. Just please stop, Kylo, I'll do anything."

"Beg for it, then. Tell me what want me to do to you."

Hux looked at Kylo for a moment, steeling himself. He hated begging, but he could do it for Claire. "Please fuck me Kylo. But I haven't bottomed before, so I would appreciate it if you would be gentle."

"Hah! Are you serious? I've seen you on the prowl in the clubs. You mean to tell me you have never been fucked?"

Hux narrowed his eyes at him. "No, I haven't. I prefer to top, when you bottom you are in a vulnerable position and I don't like that feeling."

"Because you've been there before. Or have you blocked that out? Didn't you ever think it odd that that jock who made advances on you in the locker room back in high school just happened to commit suicide the next day? Or were you secretly glad that he was dead?"

Hux frowned. He didn't remember having bottomed before. But he did faintly remember the jock Kylo was talking about. He remembered he had been very glad he was dead, but he didn't know why now. Was... was Kylo saying he had been raped? With that thought, the memories came back like a flood, he had been annoyed by the jock's constant advances and kept turning him down until one day he had gotten angry and just taken what he wanted. "I take it you killed him," Hux said. "Thank you for that. I was very glad he was dead, I wasn't going to go back to school, I was too scared after he... after what happened." He swallowed. "So yes, I guess I have bottomed before."

"It's a shame that had to be your first experience. I was hoping to be the one." Kylo sighed. "Well, Claire has been a real champ here today. I'll be gentle. Take off your clothes and lie on the bed. Keep your hands above your head where I can see them."

Claire shook her head. "No, don't, just torture me more, please Kylo."

Hux tried to put on a brave face for her. "I'll be fine, Claire, really."

"Claire, honey, you need to shut the fuck up and watch. If I catch you looking away, I'm going to burn your eyes out." He waited a minute for that to sink in. "Just watch and think about how you wouldn't even be here right now, suffering like this, if it weren't for him. He told me your name."

Kylo unzipped his jeans and freed his already hard cock, stroking it slowly as he watched Hux undress and prostrate himself.

Claire shot a look at Hux. Was that true?

Hux took deep breaths to calm himself, staring at the ceiling. He could do this. This was just an extremely unpleasant thing he had to get through, but he could get through it. He was strong.


	7. Chapter 7

Kylo grabbed some lube off the table and rubbed it onto himself before climbing into the bed and positioning himself between Hux's pale thighs.

"Don't look at the ceiling. Look at me. Just relax. I'm not going to hurt you. I want to look into your eyes when I take you."

He slipped one lubed finger down the crack of Hux's ass and worked it inside him, taking Hux's cock in his other hand and massaging him sensuously hoping to get him hard.

"You really are beautiful, you know that?"

Hux could feel the strong urge to run when he felt the bed dip under Kylo's weight, but he resisted it, grabbing onto the sheets as an anchor to hold him in place.

He looked at the ceiling for a few more seconds before he did as Kylo said and looked at him, his eyes wide with barely held off panic.

When he felt the finger on his crack, he jerked away with a little whimper, before remembering himself and staying in place.

He winced slightly when he felt the finger push into him, it was uncomfortable but it didn't hurt. The hand on his cock was pleasantly distracting, and he could feel himself slowly getting hard under Kylo's ministrations.

Kylo gave him that disarming smile -- it was real, and totally out of place on the face of a sadistic murderer. "Shh, relax." Kylo continued to finger and stroke him until he was as comfortable as he was likely to get. He held Hux's gaze as he lined himself up and slowly pushed the head of his cock in.

Kylo's smile helped Hux calm down, along with the hand stroking him. He kept making sure to take deep breaths as Kylo started to push inside of him.

Watching this was worse torture than what Kylo had been doing to Claire's fingers, and she couldn't watch, she couldn't, so she screwed her eyes shut. She wished she could cover her ears as well.

Fortunately for Claire, Kylo was too lost in the gorgeous turquoise of Hux's eyes to notice that she wasn't looking. There was pain there, but he also read pleasure in the flush on his cheeks. "Shame on you, Agent. Enjoying getting fucked by a serial killer."

It took him some time to slide his full length in, as slow as he was going, but eventually he bottomed out and held himself there, savoring Hux's reactions.

Hux blushed slightly. "If you weren't stroking me I wouldn't be."

The feeling of Kylo all the way inside him was a strange feeling. He felt so... filled. And it definitely wasn't a bad feeling.

"Oh?" Kylo released him and started to pull out before fucking back into him with a bit more intensity.

Hux felt the loss of the hand on his cock. "No, Kylo, I didn't mean to stop, please, that felt so good."

That was more than Claire could handle, and she started to struggle in her bonds, her eyes still closed tight. "Stop! Stop it!"

Kylo pressed his taut abs against Hux's as he leaned into the next thrust, wiggling against Hux's trapped cock.

Kylo snapped his head around and he glared at Claire. His voice, so contrary to his gentle actions, sounded as if it came from someone else as he shrieked, "I told you to shut the fuck up! Not a fucking sound out of you!"

Hux let out a moan and a curse as Kylo hit somewhere good inside of him that made a surge of pleasure go through him, but it was cut off when he heard Claire.

"No!" she screamed. "Please just kill me, I can't listen to this anymore, you're fucking sick, fuck off!"

Kylo stopped where he was, in mid-thrust, and didn't move. "Would you rather I rape him? Beat him? Is that what you want, you selfish cunt? Will that make you feel better? You want to ruin this for both of us?"

"No, fuck, I'm sorry Hux, I just, I can't do this anymore, please just kill me." She was sobbing at that point, tears running down her face.

"Just ignore her," Hux said gently, wrapping his legs around Kylo.

Kylo turned back to him. "You'd better tell her to shut up. I don't like noise. Especially not some bitch crying while I'm trying to make this special for us."

Hux winced. "Claire, please be quiet, you're making him angry."

Claire was in too much of a panic to calm down at that point. "No!" she yelled, then started screaming. If they were going to have sex, she would not look and maybe like this she wouldn't have to listen and she could pretend it wasn't happening.

Kylo pulled out and got off Hux, stomping over to Claire and punching her in the gut as hard as he could. "Go on and scream then bitch! No one can hear you in here! Do you think you can scream louder than him? Because you're about to find out! Remember, this was all on you!"

He slapped her and then stalked back over to Hux, climbing back on top of him and ramming his cock in all the way, as hard as he could. Kylo grabbed Hux's wrists and pinned them above his head, continuing to fuck him viciously.

Claire gasped as the air was forced out of her lungs. She wheezed as she tried to catch her breath again.

It took all of Hux's willpower to stay in place as Kylo stalked toward him, but there was nowhere for him to go anyway, he was chained.

When Kylo thrust into him, there wasn't anything but pain and he bit his lip to keep from making a sound, but the continuous harsh thrusting caused him to let out a whimper of pain. He felt like he was being ripped apart. "Please, Kylo, don't do this, I know you don't want to do this. This is our first time; it should be special."

Kylo's angry glare softened as he turned back to Hux. Seeing the pain in his eyes, he dropped down to his elbows and nuzzled against his neck. "I'm sorry, you're right. She made me do it."

Hux let out a breath of relief when he saw Kylo's gaze soften. "Yes, you're right, she should have listened to you. If you killed her, she wouldn't make any more noise." He knew killing her would be a mercy at this point.

Sensing deception, Kylo's eyes narrowed. "You want me to kill her."

"Everyone here knows you won't let her go, you're going to kill her eventually. She's been begging for it, Kylo, she's suffering, don't you have any mercy?"

"No." Kylo looked at him blankly and kept fucking him.

"Not even if I asked it of you?" Hux asked. Kylo hit that place inside him again and he let out a moan. "Fuck, Kylo, right there."

Claire could hear them again, and she started screaming to block them out.

Kylo snarled and sat back. "Fine! If you want her dead so badly, you do it. Prove how much you love me."

Kylo marched over to where Claire was chained and yanked her down, dragging her over to the bed and holding her up in front of Hux.

Hux blinked at Kylo in surprise, not having expected that turn of events. "I don't... I've never killed someone before, Kylo, I wouldn't know... how would I even do it?"

Claire didn't struggle when Kylo pulled her down. "Yes, please kill me, Hux." She knew that he would be merciful about it at least.

"It's easy..." he purred, leaning close to Hux's ear. "Just wrap your hands around her neck and squeeze. Feel that power over her life. There's nothing like it. When that last breath leaves..." His cock twitched in anticipation.

Hux was pretty sure he wasn't going to enjoy this as much as Kylo seemed to think he would. But he did as he said wrapping his hands around her neck. He pressed his thumbs into her throat and squeezed hard, wanting to make this as quick and painless for her as possible.

"Yes... Just like that. Tighter." Kylo's eyes flicked from Hux's to Claire's contorted face. He started stroking himself in earnest.

"Careful, she's going to start struggling."

Hux loosened his grip slightly when he saw Claire's face start to purple, but then he realized that's what he was supposed to be doing. He tightened it again as she started clawing at his hands, apparently a subconscious reaction to being choked.

"Good. Don't stop." Kylo reached back with his free hand and started jerking Hux off at the same time.

Hux had softened after all that had been going on, but he could feel himself start to harden under Kylo's ministrations. Claire's eyes widened, and then they fell back and her pulse under his thumbs stopped. He felt like he was going to be sick, and he pulled away from Kylo and ran to the bathroom, sure he wouldn't be happy if he puked on his floor. He managed to make it to the toilet and heaved into it.


	8. Chapter 8

Kylo took his time finishing himself off before following Hux to the bathroom. He knelt beside him and rubbed his hand around his back in small circles. "Yeah, it's like that the first time. It gets better."

Hux had finished throwing up by the time Kylo walked into the bathroom and was resting his forehead on the toilet seat. "You seem to be under the impression that I'm going to kill again, but I'm not. I'm not like you, Kylo, that doesn't get me off."

"Doesn't it?" Kylo looked down at Hux's half-hard dick.

"Hmm. Well, I suppose I'd better start cleaning up the mess." Kylo got Hux a cup of water from the sink and then ducked out of the bathroom to take care of the body.

"That was all your doing," Hux said.

He accepted the cup of water wordlessly and scooted back so he was leaning against the wall. He couldn't believe he had killed someone, especially Claire. That was awful, and he hoped he never had to do that again. He didn't even think he would kill Kylo, he would probably just wound him enough to escape.

"You give me too much credit," Kylo called back to him as he dragged her body into the bathroom and dumped her into the bathtub. "Better get that shit under control." He motioned to the vomit. "You're gonna have to help me with this. If we don't cut her up, we'll never be able to get rid of her conveniently.”

Hux grimaced and stood up, drinking his water and flushing the toilet. "You forget, Kylo, I want you to be caught." He started to walk out of the bathroom. "I'm going to bed."

"Well, suit yourself. It's your shower. I suppose I could just leave her here to decompose. Not like anyone else will be down here."

Hux turned back to him, his face pale. "Kylo... I have a strong stomach but cutting up a body... that's too much I wouldn't be able to do it without throwing up again and I already feel awful enough. If you do this for me I'll make it up to you... I could give you a blowjob, I'm told I'm good at those."

"You act like you're not going to be doing that at some point anyway. Quit bitching and do it. Puke and get it out of your system. You'll get over it. Just think of it like cadaver lab." Kylo left and went upstairs to retrieve Claire's gun. Checking that a round was chambered and the safety was off, he came back downstairs and picked up the bone saw and machete and brought them into the bathroom.

"Here." He tossed the two implements to the floor at Hux's feet and trained the gun on him in case he tried anything. "Get to work."

Hux grimaced again, but picked up the bone saw. He started to saw into her, and blood started running out from her wounds. He started with her limbs, which were semi easy, but he hesitated when he got to the body. He cut into it, but when organs started spilling out he ran over to the toilet and dry heaved, shaking. "No. I can't fucking do that."

Kylo had just been standing by, smiling in amusement. "How did you ever manage to become a field agent? Do you lose your shit at all the crime scenes you visit?" He chuckled. "That's fine. You did pretty well for your first kill. Wash up and go back to bed. I'll finish up in here."

"I actually never handled any violent crime cases until you started killing. It wasn't my specialty, but you made it personal."

He slumped a little in relief. He really needed a shower, he felt horrible and dirty and felt like he needed to scrub several layers of skin off to get a Claire's blood off of him. "There's no chance I could use your shower, is there?" He really doubted it, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"I'll have this cleaned up in just a few minutes," Kylo said. There was no way he was about to let Hux into his own shower to leave evidence everywhere, or steal a razor or fuck knew what else.

"So, it sounds like you got lucky then. A lot of killers are far messier than I am. I tried to keep things tidy for you; I know how much you hate being dirty. What was your specialty before me?"

Kylo turned the shower on to start washing the blood away and stepped out again to grab the tarp.

Hux nodded, supposing he could wait. He supposed he was lucky, that Kylo was in love with him, that made his situation here much better than it would be if he was kidnapped by a regular serial killer.

"I was a behavioral analyst," he said. "Sometimes I would go see the crime scene, but the body had always been moved by then. There would usually be blood spatter but that didn't bother me."

"But I turned into a profiler and investigative specialist in addition when you started killing."

Kylo came back with the tarp and started slopping body parts onto it. They made slightly less mess with the blood drained away, but the organs and other viscera made sickening, squelching sounds as he dropped them into the pile.

"So they saw me killing guys who looked like you and decided it would be wise to drop you into my line of sight? They used you as bait?"

Hux was making sure he didn't look at what Kylo was doing, still sitting in front of the toilet. He paled a little more when he heard the disgusting noises.

"No, that was all my doing," Hux said. "I requested the case. My superiors were dubious at first but they let me have it after much convincing."

"Really? You didn't know who I was, so you couldn't have known that I was in love with you or that you were the real target. I'd like to think that you did know, subconsciously, but that's just a fantasy. So you wanted to be the bait, then." Kylo finished up and sat back against the wall with a sigh. "I've heard of childhood abuse making people reckless as adults, but putting yourself in a serial killer's sights? That either takes balls or a serious death wish. Both, maybe."

Kylo started wrapping and rolling up the tarp into a gruesome package.

"You're right that I didn't know who you were, but I wanted to see if there was some sort of a connection between us after I saw the first two bodies or if it was just coincidence."  
He shrugged. "I've never really been afraid of dying. I suppose you're right that can be credited to my father."

"What did he do to you?" Kylo said, a twinge of sadness coloring his tone. He traced the back of his hand down the pale ridges of scar tissue on Hux's back.

Hux tensed, he really didn't like anyone touching his back. "Lots of things," he answered sharply. "Can you get that out of here so I can take a shower?"

"Yeah. Let me scrub it out first."

He carried out the tarp and came back a few minutes later with a full bottle of bleach and some scouring sponges. Within minutes the tub and surrounding environs looked as clean as new. He was obviously skilled at disposing of bodies, despite his usual MO of leaving them for discovery.

Hux turned around to watch Kylo scrub the bathroom when he heard the tarp being removed. He let out a sigh of relief when it was clean. He held his foot out so Kylo could take off his cuff.

Kylo unlocked it without further comment and waited outside, watching Hux shower on the monitor on his phone.

Hux looked at the drawer where the scalpel was hidden, but he was too exhausted to do anything, he just wanted to scrub all his skin off and scream and sleep. He got into the shower, scrubbing himself until his skin was red, but even that didn't make the feeling of Claire's blood on him go away. He got out and meekly stuck his foot out after he opened the door.

Kylo slipped his phone into his pocket, relocked the cuff and backed away, keeping one hand on the gun he'd tucked into the back of his jeans.

He thought that watching Hux would have gotten him back into the mood, but he wasn't at all. His interest in Hux had gone entirely cerebral for the moment.

Now that he'd gotten him to kill, it was just one more weapon in his psychological arsenal. He just needed him to open up about his father. He had to know.

Hux walked over and grabbed his pajamas, putting them on before getting into bed. He wished he could sleep forever. He envied Claire a little, she didn't have to deal with life anymore. Maybe he should just use the scalpel on him instead of Kylo.

Kylo finished collecting all of his torture implements, a bit regretful that he didn't get to use them all, and took everything dangerous back upstairs. He came back to give Hux another pill.

"I'm guessing you'll need this tonight."

"Can you leave the whole bottle?" Hux asked. "In case I wake up in the middle of the night and need another one, I wouldn't want to disturb you just for that. I don't want to have any nightmares."

Kylo regarded him with suspicion. He had almost forgotten that "normal" people often reacted to personal tragedy with suicidal gestures. For that matter, he wasn't sure how much longer he wanted to pretend he didn't know that scalpel was in the restroom.

"Don't worry. That's an Ambien, since you already had a painkiller earlier. You'll sleep through World War Three if it goes down."

He looked Hux in the eye, waiting for his reaction, "Besides, I wouldn't want you overdosing while I was away."

Hux nodded in annoyance. Going to sleep and never waking up had sounded like a good plan. "Fine," he said, taking the pill from Kylo. "Night."

He took the pill with some water, rolling over to face away from Kylo and closed his eyes.

Kylo walked up the stairs and turned off the lights, opening and shutting the door as if he'd gone and waited in the dark, out of sight, watching Hux.


	9. Chapter 9

Hux waited for a few minutes after Kylo had gone before he got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. He would do it in the tub, that way his blood would be able to be washed away more easily. He grabbed the scalpel from the drawer, looking it over for a minute, watching the blade catch the light.

Kylo followed him with practiced silence and wrapped a muscular arm around Hux's neck, yanking him out of the bathroom in a sleeper hold.

"Oh, no you don't." He whispered in his ear. "Your life is mine to end."

Hux let out a yelp, dropping the scalpel. He tried to struggle in Kylo’s arms to grab it again, but he was too strong. "Let me go!"

Kylo hauled Hux back to the bed and tossed him onto it, immediately climbing on top of him to hold him down. "Stop fighting."

"No," Hux hissed, bringing up a knee to hit Kylo in the crotch, still struggling.

Grunting, Kylo flipped him over and pinned him to the mattress under his weight. "Stop. Fucking. Fighting. Me!"

"No, fuck off! Let me get that fucking scalpel and I'll fucking kill myself or kill you, it doesn't fucking matter! Or maybe I could kill us both!" He let out a maniacal laugh, still struggling as much as he could under Kylo’s body weight.

Kylo pressed his formidable weight down on Hux and managed to wedge his arms around the thinner man's body like a bear hug, restraining Hux's arms as well. "No, I did not fight this hard to have you just to lose you now. Quiet. It'll all be ok. Shh. Stop. Just be still."

Hux fought stubbornly for a few more minutes, but he knew there was no point, Kylo was much stronger than him and the drug was starting to kick in, making him tired, so he let himself go limp under Kylo.

Once he felt it was safe to let go, Kylo rolled off to the side, pulling Hux into the sheltering curve of his body. He ran his fingers through Hux's fiery orange locks and brushed them gently back into place. "There. See? It's alright. I'll stay here with you tonight. You'll be safe. We can start over tomorrow."

Hux nodded drowsily, feeling sleep pulling at him. He closed his eyes, too tired to move away from Kylo, and drifted off.

Kylo had shit to do, but he was far too comfortable with Hux sleeping beside him to move. The body could wait. It's not like it was going anywhere. This body, on the other hand...

Kylo traced his fingers down the ridges of Hux's spine and investigated each scar with a tenderness Hux would not have thought him capable of. At least, in his sleep, he didn't object. Eventually, Kylo was seduced into sleep as well by Hux's quiet, rhythmic breathing.

When Hux woke up, he was feeling much better and not suicidal. He wished he hadn't used the scalpel, had saved it so he would actually have a chance to get away.

Kylo was still asleep, his arm draped lazily over Hux's waist. His breathing was slow and deep, indicating he was nowhere near waking up.

Hux moved out from under Kylo’s arm, getting up. He walked into the bathroom to pee, seeing the scalpel still on the floor. He picked it up, placing it on the top of the shower curtain bar so he could use it when he took a shower the next time. Otherwise he would have to cut his foot off to get out of the chain and he wasn't looking forward to that. He peed and then washed his hands, walking out of the bathroom.

Kylo was still in the same position, breathing evenly, but his eyes were open and he was wide awake, watching.

"So do you want to go get that scalpel you stole? Or am I going to have to go looking for it?" His voice was as calm and unreadable as his face, but a menacing undercurrent ran through the seeming playfulness of his words.

Hux shrugged. "I didn't see it when I went to the bathroom. Maybe it got kicked somewhere when I was struggling."

Kylo sat up. "I saw you pick it up. What, do you think I'm stupid?"

Hux cursed internally. He'd been sure Kylo was asleep. "I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Kylo was up and moving toward him before he even registered it. "I thought today was going to be a new day for us. But no, you had to go and fuck it up already." He leaned in close, suddenly screeching in Hux's face. "Where is it?"

Hux didn't move back, refusing to be intimidated by him. He might be punished for this but it would be worth it, he needed that scalpel to escape. "I don't know," he answered calmly.

Kylo backhanded him in the jaw again, hard enough to knock him over, but grabbed him before he could fall and backhanded him the opposite way.

Hux hissed in pain from the backhands, falling after the second one and clutching his face. That was going to leave bruises.

Kylo kept coming at him, grabbing him by the hair and yanking him into the bathroom. "Where is it?" He yelled again.

Hux grabbed at Kylo, struggling to get his footing as he was dragged into the bathroom. "I don't know!"

Pulling Hux's arm back, Kylo twisted it behind him and bent his thumb back as far as it would go without snapping. "Where. The fuck. Is it."

Hux grimaced, letting out a faint sound of pain. "I don't know, you must have been dreaming."

Kylo shoved him against the wall and leaned in, growling into his ear in an approximation of his father's voice, "Listen, boy, you'd better tell me, or there'll be hell to pay."

Hux shivered at the too familiar voice. He shouldn't be lying, that was bad and wrong. "I..." But his determination came back. "I don't know what you're talking about, si-- Kylo."

"Don't lie to me boy!" Kylo hissed, keeping one first in Hux's hair and yanking down his pants with the other.

Hux’s resolve flickered and he let out a whimper when he felt his pants pulled down, but he kept his mouth resolutely shut.

Kylo worked his own jeans down over his painfully hard cock and rubbed himself against Hux's exposed ass. "We'll see how long you stay quiet."

Hux gritted his teeth. He could do this, he could endure.

Kylo spit into his hand and slathered it over the head of his cock, more for his comfort than Hux's, and rammed himself in to his full length, grabbing Hux's arms and pinning his wrists against the wall when he tried to fight back.

Fuck, that hurt. He felt like Kylo was splitting him open, and he just let his mouth open in a silent scream. This was definitely the worst pain he had experienced, it was so burning and wrong and deep inside him, and he thought he felt something tearing.

A thin trickle of blood ran down the back of Hux's leg, the sight of it turning Kylo on even more. He pushed himself in even further, panting heavily against Hux's neck, before pulling out all the way and thrusting in again and again as viciously as he could.

Hux could only hope that Kylo would finish quickly, he had thought he would be able to endure this but his resolve was fading with every excruciating thrust.

He could feel something running down his leg. He doubted it was semen, Kylo had barely started and still felt hard inside of him. He felt a little flicker of panic when he realized it must be blood. Could someone even heal from something like that? And he knew Kylo wasn't going to stop fucking him, would it be painful every time because he had been irreparably damaged inside?

Angry that Hux hadn't cried out yet, Kylo reached up under Hux's shirt and, in contrast to the violence with which he was fucking him, lightly trailed his fingers down one long scar. He knew Hux hated being touched, and was hoping it would evoke even more painful memories from a time when he was less stoic and more susceptible to begging and crying.

Hux shuddered at the touch, pushing Kylo’s hand away. "Don't touch me," he said, but his voice cracked at the end. "Please don't." He had no desire to go back to those memories while he was already in such pain.

Kylo kept at it, following the line of one scar to another as he traced the welts back up to his shoulders. "Tell me, and this will all be over. I don't want to hurt you, but you're doing this to yourself, boy. It's all your fault."

Hux could feel tears start to run down his face. "You're right it's my fault sir I'm sorry I can't tell you," he babbled, sobs starting to wrack his body.

Sliding his hand around to Hux's face, he placed his thumb just under one eye socket and began to press in, continuing to fuck him in agonizing, slow but violent thrusts. "Do you want to lose an eye? Is it worth that much to you? Because your eyes will look just as pretty in a jar as they do in your face."

No, that would be too much, he couldn't do that, especially not in addition to this. He shook his head. "No, no, Kylo, please don't."

"Then tell me. Where. You. Put. It." He punctuated each word with more cruel thrusting.

Hux whimpered. "I... I..." He slumped, all the fight gone out of him. "Fine. It's on the rod that holds the shower curtain. Please stop."

But Kylo didn't stop. He bent Hux over the sink, digging his thin hips into the countertop and shoved himself in harder, faster until he finally came.

He collapsed on top of Hux, crushing him under his weight and licking the tears from the side of his face. "Remember, you did this to yourself. I wanted us to start fresh today, but no. And if you think your punishment is done for lying to me, and thinking me stupid, you have another think coming."

He pulled out, just as roughly as he had pushed in, and threw Hux to the ground by his hair. Kylo reached up to the shower rod, pretending to feel around cautiously until he got hold of it. He knew exactly where it was, but he wasn't ready to divulge that he had cameras and microphones hidden everywhere.

Hux let out another whimper of pain when he felt the countertop digging into him in addition to Kylo's hard thrusts. The only comfort he had was that he was about to come, he could feel his thrusts becoming more sporadic.

When he came, he felt his cum burning his torn insides and he let out a shriek of pain that was crushed out of him as he felt Kylo collapse on top of him.

He let out a little yelp of surprise as he was thrown to the ground, catching himself on his elbows so he didn't hit his head, but he didn't attempt to get up. There was an aching and burning inside him and semen and blood were running uncomfortably down his leg.

Scalpel in hand, Kylo grabbed a handful of Hux's hair and pulled him up to his knees. He held the blade near Hux's eye and shoved his crotch in his face. "Clean me off." Kylo waved the blade around. "If you bite me, you will be begging for death."

Hux grimaced, but he did as Kylo said and opened his mouth, taking a tentative lick of the blood and cum mixture. He shuddered, trying not to gag, but kept licking at it. He was glad he had already thrown up everything in his stomach, he was sure he would be in trouble if he puked on Kylo's dick.

"Suck it. Come on. I know you know how to give good head."

Hux grimaced again but did as Kylo said, taking all of Kylo's cock into his mouth and then moving his mouth back and forth on it.

"Oh, Christ. You are good at this. Nnnnn..." Kylo moaned, leaning into the warmth of his mouth. Despite being bloodied, Hux's lips were softer than he'd imagined.

Maybe if he did a really good job with blowing Kylo and made him cum again, he wouldn't punish him anymore. He used his tongue to wrap around Kylo’s dick as he moved his mouth back and forth, pursing his lips.

Kylo groaned in pleasure, but he had just come and he was going to make Hux work for his absolution.

Hux relaxed his throat, taking Kylo as far as he could until his nose was pressed against his stomach. He held him there for a little bit, running his tongue around the shaft, before he let him go, taking a deep breath.

When Kylo felt the head of his cock pop into the back of Hux's throat he almost came again, but he was determined to make this last, particularly because he could tell Hux was repulsed by the act.

He barely let him finish taking a breath before he pushed back in all the way.

Kylo was impressed that Hux could take all of him without gagging, but he kind of wished he would, just to make him more miserable. Clearly, he was not bragging when he said earlier that he was great at giving blowjobs.

Hux let Kylo's cock rest in the back of his throat, still using his tongue, until he pulled off again for a quick breath. He started a quick pace, keeping his lips tight around his cock so he would hopefully just come and get it over with.

"Ahhhhhh, fuck!" Kylo gasped as he finally came again, shooting his load down Hux's throat, every convulsing swallow drawing more and more out of him. He held Hux's head in place until he'd gulped down every last drop and only let him go when he was in the brink of passing out from lack of air.

Hux felt a wave of relief when Kylo finally came. He didn’t taste as bad with the taste of ass and blood off his cock, so he didn't have too much a problem swallowing it. When Kylo finally let him off, he gasped for air. "Can I take a shower now?" he asked, looking up.

"You can do it with me watching you. You've lost your privacy privileges for now." Kylo leaned back against the wall, sated and calm.

"Are you at least going to take this off?" Hux asked, holding up his foot with the cuff. "And am I done getting punished now?"

"Yes, and no," Kylo said. "Put your foot up on the sink and look away."

Hux nodded, standing up and putting the foot with the cuff on the sink. He looked away from Kylo.

Kylo put in the combination and unlocked it. He placed it on the counter and leaned back with his arms folded across his broad chest, twirling the scalpel around his fingers as he watched Hux.

Hux put his foot down, trying to ignore Kylo as much as he could as he took his shirt off and pulled his pants the rest of the way down. He climbed into the shower and closed the curtain firmly, starting to shampoo his hair.

Kylo was glad he'd hung a clear shower curtain. He smiled, his eyelids heavy with sleep, and waited to see if Hux would have a breakdown or wait until later. Kylo fully intended to sleep next to him again; it was very soothing. He'd fantasized about it for so long and now that Hux was all his, he felt like he was rushing to do too many things at once. He had to slow down. They had forever now.

Well, once he got rid of the body upstairs... It was too late to do anything about that bitch's car. And now they would have the tread marks from his motorcycle's tires. He'd need to get new ones, maybe up in Vancouver. It would be a long day trip, but the FBI had no jurisdiction there. He also had clients to see on Tuesday. Work waits for no man. Ugh.

Hux winced as he cleaned out his asshole. It was really sore, but getting the blood and cum out of there made him feel a little better after getting raped.

He got out, drying himself off, still resolutely ignoring Kylo. He put his foot back on the sink and looked away again.

Kylo enjoyed handing him his bloodstained pants and shirt back again, knowing he'd feel dirty even though he'd showered. Once he'd dressed again, he locked the cuff and spun the numbers.

Hux looked down at his pajamas, then up at Kylo. "Is there some way you can wash these?"

"Yes," he said, though his attitude said no.

"Well are you going to wash them now or not?"

"You know what? I'm having the most enjoyable time trying to figure you out." Kylo unfolded his arms and motioned for Hux to leave the bathroom. "Here you are, not ten minutes from being raped, and firing off attitude at me like you want it again. Because, if you think I can't have another go at you, you're very, very wrong."

Hux frowned and looked down. "I was just asking. If you want me to wear these bloody pajamas that's fine I guess." He followed Kylo out of the bathroom.

"You'd better watch your fucking tone. You're lucky you get any clothes after what you pulled."

Kylo made a tour of the room to make sure there was nothing he'd missed.

"I have work to do today. Think you can behave your goddamn self?"

Hux made a face at Kylo behind his back and while he knew it was childish it made him feel a little better.

"It's not like I can go anywhere, so yes."

"Not going to try to kill yourself? Do you understand that you are mine?"

"There's nothing to kill myself with," Hux said, folding his arms. "Otherwise I would, it's better than being here with you."

"You did this to yourself. I wanted things to be different today." Kylo's voice started to rise with his anger. "Now you can sit here and think about that. And don't forget: you're a killer now, too. You made that choice. You have nowhere else to go and no one to turn to but me."

Kylo glared at him and turned around to leave.

Hux glared at Kylo’s back as he left, then sat heavily in the chair. He wasn't a killer. He had killed Claire out of mercy. He wasn't sure anyone else would see it that way though, murder was still murder.

He felt a thread of worry in his gut. Even if he did get out of here, what kind of a life would he have? He doubted he would get his job back, they would probably think he was too traumatized. And his apartment was probably sold by now, his possessions gone. It was sad, but that was all he had in the world. At least here he had someone who loved him, and somewhere decent to stay.

He shook his head. What was he thinking? Kylo was crazy, and anywhere was better than here.


	10. Chapter 10

Throughout the day, Kylo found himself checking in on Hux often, wondering if he had broken yet and not wanting to miss it. He doubted that it would come so soon; Hux had endured a lot of terror and abuse in his life, and it would take more than a single violent act to turn him around. He would have to escalate the situation, but carefully. Perhaps a carrot now, instead of a stick.

He'd been planning to bring in a nice flatscreen TV and some of Hux's favorite books and movies for him to have some entertainment while Kylo was away at work. Maybe that was in order now: Apologies for his atrocious behavior. Gentle kisses and presents and aftercare.

But for now, nothing more to do than sit in the dim light and think about how horrible the situation would be if he didn't cooperate.

Kylo thought about all of this while he wrapped each body part individually and stored it in the bottom of the industrial freezer in his garage. In a few days, when they were frozen solid and had less chance of leaking or smelling, he would start taking parts out to various, far-flung locations to dispose of them.

Yes, he could play the contrite, abusive boyfriend, slowly convincing Hux that all the woes visited upon him were of his own doing. Hux's father had planted and cultivated that seed for him for 18 years already. Kylo just had to trim the tree and shape it as he desired.

There wasn't much to do while Kylo was gone, so he walked around for a while, then the chain got too annoying so he laid down on the bed. He was sort of tired, so he closed his eyes and ended up falling asleep.

Once Kylo had finished with the body, he spent the rest of the morning cleaning up any other evidence that Claire had been there. Fortunately, her cell phone had not been on her when he'd taken her. It must have been left inside her car. That was quite a bit of luck, and he was thankful for it since he hadn't even thought about it in his haste to get rid of her.

Kylo didn't like being rushed. At least, while he was making lunch, he could take some time to quietly reflect on everything that had transpired since that night. Not being able to dispose of Claire's car in some way bothered him, as did the fact that they would never find her body near it and would keep looking for her, possibly indefinitely, because of that. He frowned, giving the carrots a firmer chop than was necessary. Kylo liked his kills to be neat and tidy, and he was at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed when he couldn't stage them to his liking.

As he stir-fried the vegetables and meat, he listened to the news and police radio scanner, and searched the Internet on his phone for information on his crime.  
Claire had already been reported missing, and her picture was being broadcast over the news. In the background, the muddy tread of his tires could be seen just past her car. They were faint, but he couldn't just hope that they hadn't been noticed, or that he was only seeing them because he knew they were there. At least he'd been careful not to leave the same tread prints at other crime scenes. Or so he thought. Now he couldn't be sure.

"Fuck!" He shouted, throwing a nearby plate against the wall. "Fuck! You fucking stupid asshole! Fuck!"

After lunch, he would head up to Canada. The tire situation couldn't be put off any longer. He hoped the FBI's profile hadn't reached the border yet.

He finished cooking and portioned out the contents of the stir-fry into two bowls, carrying them downstairs. Before he entered the basement he took a deep breath, smiling and making his best effort not to show his irritation.

Hux had woken up after about a half hour, and he just laid there. He had managed to glimpse the first two numbers of the combination in the mirror in the two times he'd had it off. He'd need four more showers to see the rest, he didn't want to risk more than a brief glance in case Kylo saw and changed the combination. He would have to be on his best behavior so he didn't lose his shower privileges in the meantime.

He heard Kylo and smelled something good, so he sat up, looking at the two bowls. He had no idea what time it was. "Is this lunch or dinner? Also that smells amazing."

"Lunch. And thanks." Kylo passed him his bowl and sat down in the chair across from him. "Hope you like Chinese."

Hux took the bowl and scooted to the edge of the bed. "Yes, Chinese is fine," he said, taking a bite of it. He was glad it was semi-soft, chewing anything tough with his missing teeth would be hard. Like last time, it was very good, and he made sure to compliment Kylo on it.

"Hey, look," Kylo rubbed the back of his neck and assumed a submissive posture. "I'm really sorry about this morning. It's just that, you really scared me. I don't want to lose you. Please don't make me do those things to you."

Kylo had fucking raped him and threatened to take his eye out. That wasn't something you could just say sorry for. He took a deep breath, reminding himself not to say those things out loud. "It's fine," he said stiffly, looking down at his bowl. "You'll have to... it would be best if you would wait a while to have sex though, so I can heal on the inside."

"Yeah, sure, of course. I don't want to hurt you. And of course, you can have your privacy back. I just wanted to make sure you got some food. I'll go."

"You don't have to go," Hux said. There was really nothing to do down here when Kylo was gone. And their interactions were mostly pleasant when Kylo wasn't angry. And Hux was convinced he could keep him that way. He just had to be submissive and do what Kylo wanted.

"I wish I could stay, but I have work to do today. That reminds me. I have some things for you."

Kylo dashed upstairs and came back with a stack of books by the same authors he'd seen in Hux's apartment. He set them over on the nightstand and took his seat again, finishing up his lunch while watching Hux for a reaction.

Hux nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. He looked at Kylo semi-warily, taking the last bites of his lunch while he was gone and setting his bowl on the table.

When he came back with the books, his expression turned happy. Now he would have something to do while Kylo was gone. He walked over to the nightstand and looked over the books, seeing they were by the authors he really liked.

He turned back to Kylo. "Thank you. That will definitely make things less boring around here when you're gone."

"Well, I wish I could stay with you, but one doesn't achieve the care-free life of a serial killer with just a trust fund and wealthy parents. I'll be back in a few hours." Kylo lied about the time to keep Hux on his toes. He gathered up the bowls and said goodbye.

After washing up, he grabbed his things and rode up to Vancouver. It took him just under three hours and the most tense wait at customs and border control that he'd ever experienced. Fortunately, he'd encountered a group of bikers on the way up and they'd been happy to let him ride along.

He crossed the border without incident and hit up several used tire shops until he found decent replacements. Kylo was furious with himself for having to trade in his relatively new and expensive tires.

That's the price you pay when you don't plan.

He sighed, stopped for a quick beer at a roadside bar, then took off for home.

Hux snorted. "Have fun corrupting your patients, Hannibal."

He watched Kylo leave, then walked over to the books and opened the one on top, starting to read it. It was very interesting, and he got caught up in it quickly.


	11. Chapter 11

On the way home, Kylo stopped off for some Indian take out. He got home around 9pm and was surprised to find Hux still engrossed in his book.

He came down and brought some TV trays to lay out the spread. Kylo was in a much better mood now that he'd quite literally covered his tracks.

Hux looked over when Kylo walked in. He had no way of telling time, but he was sure that had been more than a few hours.

He set his book down, turning to the food which smelled amazing. He hadn't had Indian for a while.

"Did something come up?" Hux asked as he stood up and grabbed his plate, picking out some food that looked good and wouldn't be too hard to chew before he sat down again.

"Long session. Everything's fine now, though." Kylo smiled. "Hope you don't mind take out tonight. I was too tired to cook and it was getting late. I got some curries if you don't feel like chewing. How's the pain, by the way?"

"Take out is fine," Hux said. "And if you mean my mouth, it's not bad, it's just awkward to chew anything with the missing teeth. I don't think I could eat steak, for example. If you mean my ass, it's pretty sore still."

"Let me know if you need a painkiller. There's a few left."

Kylo helped himself to some naan and curry, and was almost well-mannered enough to finish chewing before asking, "How's the book?"

Hux nodded. He didn't feel like he needed one right then. and he would rather save them. He didn't know if Kylo would buy more.

"It's great, that author is one of my favorites, it's very gripping but it has a lot of scientific fact involved so you learn a lot too."

He took another bite and chewed as he looked at Kylo, swallowing before he opened his mouth to speak. "Would you mind shaving me at some point tonight? I'm getting stubble and I don't like it."

"Sure, I can do that for you." Kylo said, digging into some Tandoori chicken, "Glad you're enjoying the books. If you have any requests, let me know. Eventually I'll get you set up with a TV, too."

"Thanks. And yes, the books are a nice way to spend the time." He nodded thoughtfully. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Really? With cable or just to play DVDs on?" He wasn't sure if Kylo would let him watch things like the news or if he was trying to cut him off from the outside world.

"Yes, I have cable, too. Netflix. Whatever you want. Maybe I'll have some time to install it tomorrow before work."

Hux nodded. "That would be great. There's no chance I could have a laptop, is there?"

Kylo smirked at the seemingly innocent question. "It wouldn't be connected to the Internet, but if you want something just to fuck around with, sure."

Hux shook his head. "No, that's all right. If it's not connected to the internet there's no point." He set his plate on the table. "I'm done, would you mind shaving me now?" He scratched at his stubble. "It's really annoying."

"Sure." Kylo gathered up the plates and set aside the leftovers. He took everything upstairs and disappeared for a while to the second floor before coming back with a swank shaving kit in an antique wooden box.

"Come sit over here, it'll be easier." He motioned to the chair he'd previously occupied.

Hux waited for Kylo to get back, looking up when he walked in with a box. "Fancy."

He nodded, walking over to the chair and sitting down.

"Haven't you ever used a straight razor? There's nothing like it." He laid out the box and its contents on the tray next to the chair and ran the razor over the leather strop a few times until it was extremely sharp. He took it with him into the bathroom while he filled up a large and small metal bowl with hot water, and soaked a towel until it was steaming.

Hux shook his head. "No, I haven't." He watched Kylo prepare interestedly. He hadn't seen this before, except in a few movies.

"I promise, once you've done it like this, you'll never touch one of those shitty disposables ever again." He wrung the towel out and fanned it a few times so it wouldn't be scorching hot. "Lean back."

Maybe when he was back home and Kylo was in prison he would buy one of these. He did as Kylo said and leaned back. Voicing his thoughts while Kylo was holding a sharp blade wasn't smart, so he kept quiet. Four more showers.

Kylo wrapped the towel around Hux's face and neck, and draped a larger, dry bath towel over his shoulders.

"It's probably a bit hot and constricting if you've never done this before, but just relax and breathe normally." Kylo started massaging his neck and shoulders while he waited for the stubble to soften. "You do look kind of sexy with a little scruff, though, you know." He chuckled.

It did feel strange, but it wasn't too uncomfortable. He focused on his breathing, and Kylo’s massage helped him relax. "Do I?" Hux asked, choosing that over the other less pleasant thoughts that were running through his mind. "I haven't heard that before. But I suppose I've never let it get this long before. Still, it's too annoying for me so I wouldn't keep it like this even if it did make me look sexy."

"Well, you probably won't be able to stop touching your face after this," he laughed and finished whipping up the shaving cream in the smaller bowl before taking the towel off.  
Kylo lathered up Hux's face and neck with the warm, smooth cream and flipped the razor open.

"I trust you're not going to do something stupid like fight me for this razor, or deliberately cut yourself? To be honest, you would bleed out before I could get help. This is sharp enough to cut through almost anything with very little pressure. I'm really trusting you, here."

Hux shook his head. He wasn't feeling particularly suicidal, and besides, he had a plan. Four more showers, and he would be out of here. "You can trust me, Kylo."  
"Alright then. Try to be still."

Kylo went about shaving him, quickly but carefully. The razor glided over the hollows of his cheeks and his throat without so much as a single scratch. Kylo was obviously very skilled with a blade, despite his large, seemingly clumsy hands.

Hux did as Kylo said, he didn't want to accidentally get cut. He was impressed when he wasn't even nicked the tiniest bit.

After he finished, Kylo wiped away the excess cream and applied another hot towel before finishing off with some very nice-smelling aftershave.

"There you go, all set." He washed everything off carefully and packed it away.

When he was done, he reached up to feel his face as he walked into the bathroom to look. Kylo was right, it felt so smooth he wanted to keep rubbing his face. He forced himself to stop though, and looked in the bathroom mirror, carefully inspecting his face. Kylo hadn't missed a spot, which was a feat, due to the dim lighting down there.

Kylo smiled over his shoulder at Hux as he came back out. He was looking at the coarse hairs that he'd wiped off the razor. They glimmered, even in the subdued lighting, brilliant orange with flecks of gold against the pure white of the towel.

"Like it?"

Hux nodded. "It's amazing. You're quite skilled with that blade." He kept running his hands over his face, but forced himself to stop again when he realized what he was doing. "You're right, I wouldn't ever want to shave the regular way after that. Would you mind if I took a shower now?"

"Sure. I think I'm going to bed soon anyway. Long day tomorrow. By the way, I did the laundry and managed to get the blood out, so if you want the same PJs I'll go get them."

Hux nodded. "Yes, I would like those pajamas. Thanks for washing them." He held out his foot and turned his head away so Kylo could take the cuff off. He was almost getting used to it being on, now, even though if he thought about it too much it started to get uncomfortable again.

Kylo leaned down to start turning the lock. "You know, I really love the color of your hair. It's so bright, even down here." He looked up at Hux and smiled.

Hux glanced over at him. "Thank you. It looks better in the sun, though. Or so I'm told." One more number. He looked away again. Three more left.

"Well, that window can open from the outside, so I'll let some light in tomorrow when you get up. I did always enjoy watching you on your morning jogs. I wonder if we couldn't go together sometime."

Hux glanced over at the window. "It would be nice to get some fresh air in here, it's pretty stuffy." He glanced over at Kylo, brow furrowed. "You mean you'd let me out of here?" That would be pretty stupid, not Kylo’s usual MO at all.

"I've been thinking about it." And he had, in fact. Not only as a daydream of a time when Hux would love him and not want to leave him, but on the practical side of keeping him healthy and in shape. He wanted so badly for them to be a real couple, and he'd waited so long already. Patience was not his strong point, though some might argue otherwise given that he'd been preparing for this for about 18 years.

He'd only have to find a secluded enough track in the woods, and make sure to keep an eye on him. Kylo had already proven he could overpower Hux if needed. Also, it would give him yet another "reward" that could be given or taken away, depending on Hux's behavior. No one was looking for him now, so even if they were spotted together, no one would think anything of it. It was a bit sad that Hux had no friends to speak of, but it worked out beautifully for Kylo.

He would think about it some more and do some scouting on the way to work. There were plenty of out-of-the-way jogging trails that should work. It might be worth a try in a week or so.

He finished unlocking the cuff and placed it up on the table.

Hux nodded. "Well it would be nice if you could." He got undressed and into the shower. He doubted he would be around to get Kylo’s 'gift' of being outside. He didn't know where he was, but civilization couldn't be too far away, Kylo had work in the city after all. And it was hard to find anywhere that was really secluded around here, he was sure he would be able to flag a car down and have them take him to the FBI, or at least call the police.

He got out, drying off and then opening the door, sticking his foot out for Kylo to put the cuff on him again.

Kylo went off to grab the laundry, watching Hux shower on his phone to make sure he stayed put, and was back with his PJs by the time he got finished. He guided his foot through one leg before re-locking the cuff and stepping away.

"Need anything before I go to bed?"

Hux put the rest of his pajamas on as the cuff clicked back into place. The pajamas felt nice and warm after having just been in the dryer, and the blood was gone from them. He considered that for a moment before shaking his head. "No, that should be everything. Goodnight, Kylo."

"Goodnight, Armitage."

Kylo waited for Hux to get in bed before turning off the lights and heading up to sleep himself.

Hux turned over and closed his eyes as the lights were turned out. The bed was getting familiar enough that he didn't have any trouble getting to sleep, and he drifted off right away.


	12. Chapter 12

Kylo reappeared early the next morning, bearing plates of eggs, bacon, and hash browns, and two cups of strongly brewed, black coffee, just the way Hux liked it. He was in a good mood. Today, he'd put the TV in for Hux before he left for work, and it would be one more step toward a sense of normalcy between them.

He made his way down the steps silently, despite his large size, wanting to have a few moments to watch over Hux before the smell of the foods woke him. He looked so content in his sleep and Kylo desperately wished he'd look that way when he was awake, too, instead of hiding his emotions behind that stoic facade of his.

Hux was still sleeping when Kylo walked down the stairs and into the room, looking peaceful as he slept.

Unable to resist, Kylo set the trays aside and leaned over Hux, smoothing his hair back and planting a soft kiss on his forehead.

Hux woke up, opening his eyes to see Kylo above him. He frowned at him, wiping away the wet feeling he had on his forehead. "What are you doing?"

"Waking my sleeping prince." He smiled. "Breakfast is ready."

Hux rolled his eyes, but sat up, rubbing his eyes. “That food looks amazing, especially the coffee."

"Dig in." Kylo moved a tray over to him and took a seat to join him. "Sleep well?"

Hux grabbed some eggs and hashbrowns, the bacon would be too tough to chew with his missing teeth. "I did.” He took a long drought of the coffee before he started to eat the eggs.

"What were you dreaming about? You looked so happy."

Hux furrowed his brows as he tried to remember. The dream was slowly fading away from him. "I was sitting on the bank of a lake. The sun was setting, and it was beautiful and peaceful."

"Someplace around here? Or back home?"

"No, it's around here, I've been there a few times. It's somewhere I used to go when I needed to get away from everything."

"Why is it special for you?"

Hux shrugged. "It's sort of like my special place. I came across it one day when I was jogging and I got lost. It feels like nobody's ever been there before."

Kylo watched his eyes change, taking on a dreamlike longing, as he talked about it. Understanding why someone like Hux loved solitude and had so few friends was difficult. Kylo had no friends out of necessity, but what was it that prevented Hux from becoming close to people?

He really did want Hux to be happy, but he would require a lot more conditioning before he could be trusted outside. And it would likely be years, if not longer, for him to be trusted outside and alone. In Kylo's mind it was a given; they would be the perfect couple. Someday. It would just take some work, is all.

Hux finished up his breakfast and set his plate on the table. If everything went to plan, he might be able to see it again while Kylo rotted in jail, where he belonged. "Are you going to work today?" he asked.

"In a few hours, yeah. I thought I might get that TV put in before I go, if you want to give me a hand with that."

Hux looked up at him and nodded eagerly. "That would be great. And I could help you with that."

Kylo nodded, gathered up their plates and went back upstairs to get it. The TV was a new flatscreen, wireless model, which also served to give Hux less to work with in terms of possible weaponry. Nonetheless, he'd be sure to install it on the wall that remained out of Hux's reach, just in case.

He grabbed a power drill and brought the box downstairs, setting it at the edge of the bed.

"Here you go. You unpack it while I drill the mount into the wall."

Hux pulled the box toward him when Kylo set it down. He was impressed it was a flatscreen and not just a regular TV. He smirked a little to himself as he thought that it wouldn't be getting much use. He eyed the power drill that Kylo had, but he doubted he would be stupid enough to leave it behind like he had the scalpel.

He took out all the parts, carefully sliding the TV itself out of the box and setting it in on the ground.

Kylo sat on the floor in front of him and assembled the rest of the frame for the mount. "I'm going to have to unlock you so you can help me get this bastard up on the wall and centered properly. Are you going to cooperate?"

Hux hesitated, glancing toward the stairs and the power drill before nodding. It would be better to wait until Kylo was gone before he tried his escape, it would give him a better chance of getting away. "I won't do anything reckless," he promised.

Kylo's expression went from friendly to deadly serious. "I see you looking at that drill. Trust me: you do not want to make me use it on you."

"No, don't worry Kylo, I won't try anything," he said, trying to keep his expression innocent. Besides, if he got Kylo to unlock his ankle he would be one number closer to knowing the combination.

"Alright then. Grab that end," he pointed to the opposite end and reached over to unlock the chain.

Hux nodded, glancing quickly over to see one more number. He grabbed the other end like Kylo had said. It wasn't too heavy, just awkward.

Together, they managed to slide the TV into the wall rack just right. With minimal adjustment, it was centered and ready to go. Kylo stepped back to admire their work. "See? Things work out well when we work together." He motioned Hux back over to the bed so he could put the chain back on.

Hux nodded. "I suppose so." He reluctantly went back to the bed, sitting down and holding his ankle out.

"I did grab some of your regular clothes too, in case you would rather not hang out in your PJs all day. Though, given the opportunity I don't think I'd mind." He laughed.

Hux nodded eagerly. "That would be nice. I feel like such a slob being in these all day."

"No problem. There isn't much of a selection though. Some jeans or slacks, and t-shirts or a button down. Up to you."

"Just jeans and a t shirt would work. I'm not going anywhere, after all."

"Sure thing." Kylo disappeared into the closet, taking the drill with him. He enjoyed testing Hux, but he had work to get to and wasn't in the mood to play. Maybe later, if Hux didn't behave while he was gone.

He came back out with some clean socks and underwear, jeans, and a green t-shirt that would bring out the light green undertones in Hux's eyes.

Hux gave a little disappointed sigh when Kylo took the drill in with him, but that was all right. He had other plans.

"Thank you, Kylo," he said, taking off his pajamas and dirty underwear and leaving them in a pile on the floor. He got dressed, already feeling better now. "Could I have the remote before you go?"

"Yep. Already on the nightstand. Feel free to watch as loud as you want, it's all soundproofed down here," he said as he relocked the chain around his ankle.

Hux nodded, looking over to see the remote. "All right, thanks. I'll see you after work."

"Enjoy." He waved and went back upstairs, watching Hux over the monitors for a few minutes to see what he'd do before getting ready for work.

Hux turned on the TV when Kylo had left, flipping through the stations until he found the news. He wanted to get caught up on what he had missed while he was here.


	13. Chapter 13

Since Hux seemed to be behaving himself, Kylo set his phone down and got himself showered and ready to go. His "office" was a small one-story house down the road, just by the entrance of his own neighborhood. Kylo liked to make his clients feel at ease, trusted, and having them believe they were being welcomed into his own home was paramount to the illusion.

That isn't to say he didn't care about his clients; quite the opposite, in fact. He was very good at his job, and his clients' histories were an indispensable resource for dealing with Hux. He was very selective about who he took on as a patient. Today's three were all childhood abuse survivors of varying severity. He couldn't wait to get started.

There were still stories about him and Claire running, it had only been a few days and they were both FBI agents after all. He felt a pang of guilt when he saw a picture of Claire. What had happened to her was his fault, and he had killed her.

He wanted to change the channel, but he wanted to see if they were close to finding Kylo. It seemed they still thought he had killed himself, and they thought Claire was missing still, which was disappointing. They did a little piece on him, which made Hux snort because nobody knew him well enough, besides Kylo and Claire, to say anything besides that he was a hard worker and dedicated. Then they showed a little picture of him with his birth and death date. He almost slapped himself. He was so stupid. The combination on his ankle cuff, he should have known it wasn't random numbers, Kylo was too sentimental for that. He wanted to show he cared by using Hux’s birthday. He already knew 0819 and he would bet the last two numbers were 77. Kylo probably wouldn't have wanted to make it too easy to guess by using his actual birthday.

He thought for a moment. Kylo was gone, it would be a good time to escape. He walked over and pressed the button he said to press if he needed anything, then waited patiently. He wanted to make sure Kylo was really gone before he made his move.

Kylo had just put his headphones in and started to walk out the door when the chime on the intercom rang. He didn't hear it.

Hux waited impatiently for about fifteen minutes before he decided that Kylo must be gone. He reached down and quickly put in the combination on his cuff, smiling to himself when it clicked open.

He looked around. There wasn't anything in particular he wanted to take with him besides his box. But it was bulky to carry, and he could get it when they caught Kylo. He would have taken one of the weapons from the closet, but there was less of a chance of someone stopping to pick him up if he had a weapon. He walked up the stairs.

He looked around the lower floor of Kylo's house quickly, but he didn't see any cell phones, which would have made this easier. He wasn't sure how long Kylo would be gone for, so he needed to make this quick.

Kylo was about half-way down the hill already by the time he flipped from his music app back to the monitors. Not seeing Hux in the room didn't alarm him at first; he figured he was probably on the toilet or something. He'd check back again in a few minutes before he got to his office.

Hux raised his eyebrows slightly as he looked around the house. Or mansion, to be more exact. He hadn't suspected that Kylo was this rich.

He saw a familiar picture on the wall, and he walked over to inspect it closer. Leia Organa. She was running for president; everyone knew her face. And she must be related to Kylo somehow.

But right now, escape was more important, so he walked outside. There were a few mansions around, but they were all walled and gated so he couldn't go there for help. He could see a road, and could tell which way the main city was from the tips of skyscrapers he could see, so he walked over to the road and started heading that way. It was cool in the shade of the trees on the side of the road, and he shivered a little as he walked.

Kylo was feeling pretty good about the day so far. It was nice weather for Seattle, not too sunny and not raining either. There was a cool breeze that put a bit of a spring in his step as he listened to one of his favorite songs.

He switched back to the monitors. Hux was still not in the room. Frowning, he swiped over to the shower cam. He wasn't in the bathroom either.

Kylo froze mid-step.

What the fuck.

He flipped back to the basement again and zoomed in.

Maybe he was hiding under the bed for some re—

Then he saw it: the chain. Unlocked.

Frantic, he swiped over the rest of the security cameras. The interior of the house was just as empty. All the outdoor cams showed nothing. His bike was still in the garage, at least. Hux hadn't stolen it. That meant he left on foot.

Where would he have gone? Fuck. Fuck. FUCK. THINK.

Kylo tried to keep hold of his temper long enough to come up with a plan.

He needed help to get out of here. He would be looking for people. Kylo doubted he'd trespass on the neighbors. That meant he was walking this way.

Kylo ripped out his earphones, tucked them and his phone into the pocket of his jeans and hid himself behind some manicured shrubbery.

Hux kept walking down the road. He saw a car driving toward him, and he felt a little flicker of hope. He tried to flag them down, but they zoomed past him and he flipped them off as they passed, irritated.

The passing car freaked Kylo out enough that he almost stepped out too early from his hiding spot. When it crested the hill above him, though, he saw the tell-tale flash of orange that was Hux's hair. He was right. It did look better in the sunlight.

Too bad he wasn't going to be seeing any sunlight. For a very long time.

Kylo melted back into the shadows and waited.

Hux hadn't realized how much he had missed being outside, but the fresh air was amazing, and even though he was a little chilly he felt more awake than he had in a while, so he didn't mind.

Impatient, Kylo's leg started jumping as he waited. He wished he had a weapon of some kind, but he didn't really need one, he was a weapon.

Hux walked down a hill and past another one of the mansions, but this one was gated as well so he couldn't go into it. And he didn't hear any more cars, but there had to be one sooner or later.

Just as Hux passed his spot, Kylo leapt out and tried to wrap a hand around Hux's mouth, grabbing his arm firmly with his other hand.

Hux jumped back as Kylo leaped out, feeling a spike of fear and irritation. Shit! How the fuck had he known he was gone? He wrenched his arm free and ran into the woods. There would be less of a chance he would be spotted here, but he had a better chance of outrunning Kylo. All those hunting trips with his father and hikes had made him good at moving quickly and silently in the woods, and he doubted Kylo would be able to do the same.

When Hux slipped out of his grip, Kylo became furious. He snarled and thundered after Hux into the forest, opting for brute strength and endurance to catch up to Hux, who clearly had speed and agility on his side. He tore after him like a predator who'd caught the scent of its prey's blood.

Hux could hear Kylo snapping branches behind him as he dodged and ducked tree branches. His green shirt would be helpful in camouflaging him, but his hair wouldn't, and he wished he had a hoodie. Still, it couldn't be helped.

"Give it up now!" he shouted. "You're only gonna get tired!"

Kylo snatched up a broken stick as he ran, and chucked it at Hux's legs, hoping to trip him.

Hux didn't answer, but just kept running. He wasn't going to back to that place. At least not without a fight.

He stumbled slightly when he felt something hit the back of his legs, but he kept running. He was getting tired now, he hadn't run like this for a while.

"Have it your way," Kylo called to him, not even close to being out of breath. "You will regret every minute you make me waste chasing your ass down. I promise you that."

Kylo was still worryingly close behind him, but he had at least a decent lead even though it was closing fast. He ducked behind a tree and pressed his back against it. He couldn’t run anymore.

He looked on the ground for anything that could be used as a weapon, and he saw a slightly sharpened stick and a decent sized rock. He grabbed them both and held them tightly, waiting for Kylo to pass.

Kylo saw him dodge behind a tree, and changed direction rapidly, coming at him from the other side. He leapt and tackled him hard, smashing into Hux hard enough to nearly break his ribs.

Hux felt something tackle him from the side, and he felt the air knocked out of him as he hit the ground hard. He struggled, kicking and trying to turn over so he could hit Kylo with the rock in his hand.

Enraged, losing all control over himself in his anger, Kylo grabbed him by the hair and wrenched his head around, slamming it into the ground repeatedly. There was blood everywhere before he remembered who he was hurting and stopped, bringing a hand to his mouth in shock. "Hux? Oh my god. Oh fuck. Oh shit. Hux?"

Hux was barely conscious by the time Kylo finished, his eyes flickering shut. And fuck his head hurt. He wished he could lose consciousness and escape this pain, but it seemed he wasn't so lucky.

"Oh Jesus, fuck. Fuck!" Kylo picked him up and looked around, realizing he was also now thoroughly lost. He hadn't been paying any attention to the way he was going as he crashed through the woods after Hux.

Hux was bleeding. A lot. But as Kylo came to his senses, slowly calming himself, he remembered that head wounds tended to bleed a lot even when they weren't so severe. He also recalled that the woods around his neighborhood were all downhill. If he just walked up the incline steadily, he'd eventually make it back to where the houses were.


	14. Chapter 14

Hux vaguely registered being picked up. He could feel the blood running down his head and he hoped he didn't bleed out. He wondered if Kylo would bring him to a hospital or let him die if his wound was serious enough.

The more Kylo thought about it, the more he realized it would be quicker, and easier to get Hux to his office. He had at least basic medications there and a decent first aid kit in case patients got out of hand and hurt themselves. He still had plenty of time before the first showed up, so he headed downhill instead, trying to stay hidden and skirt the road as much as possible until he needed to cross.

He wasn't mad anymore; he was too worried about losing Hux after all the hard work he'd done to get him. Later, though, when everything was in its right place again, he knew he'd have to make Hux suffer for this. This kind of shit could not go unpunished.

Hux was confused when Kylo started taking him toward the city rather than away from it. Maybe he had decided to take him to a hospital after all. He couldn't see how bad his wound was, but it throbbed painfully and was still bleeding slightly, which wasn't good.

He was fine. Everything would be fine. He could do this.

Kylo thought that if anyone saw them, he could say he found Hux injured in the woods. He was too out of it to respond... Kylo hoped.

He hurried across the street and toward the smaller house he used as an office. Hefting Hux over one shoulder, he fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. He looked around after going inside to make sure no one had seen them, and then rushed Hux to the bed in one of the back rooms.

Hux's head wasn't working very well, but he vaguely registered he was being taken into somewhere that wasn't a hospital. A house? It seemed like a house, but also not at the same time.

Kylo's mind was racing through all of the things he needed to do: grab the first aid kit, clean the dirt and rubble and god knew what else out of the multiple lacerations on Hux's forehead and the side of his face, get him to swallow down some sedatives, and stitch up the cuts with the sterile needles and sutures in the kit. He ranted at Hux throughout.

"You're so selfish. So fucking selfish! Look at what you made me do! I could have killed you! Fuck!"

He felt around Hux's face carefully, making sure he hadn't broken anything, but he was certain he had multiple concussions. If he broke those pretty cheekbones of his, he'd be pissed.

He ran to the kitchen to get some ice packs to help stop the bleeding.

Hux felt himself being put on a bed. He winced slightly when he felt Kylo's hand on his face. The pain had faded to a dull sensation. When Kylo left, the room started spinning around him, making his stomach roil uncomfortably.

"Krlr!" he called out fearfully, wanting him to make it stop.

Kylo hurried back when he heard Hux cry out and sat beside him. He pressed the ice pack carefully over the stitches and held it there until the bleeding slowed.

"Shh, you're alright. I've just given you a sedative. Don't fight it."

Hux nodded, trying to calm his breathing and not hyperventilate or throw up. The ice pack was a strange feeling, but he didn't feel it for very much longer, closing his eyes and drifting into blessed unconsciousness.

Reluctant to leave Hux alone, but knowing he not only needed his rest as well as the fact that Kylo's first client would be showing up in the next 15 minutes, Kylo went to wash up and prepare for work.

He went over every part of the house, cleaning up droplets of blood as best he could. He finished just in time to welcome his first patient with a smile.

The day progressed more slowly than he would have liked, and Kylo found it difficult to concentrate on what his patients were saying, knowing that Hux was unrestrained and sleeping just one room over. He popped in to check up on him between sessions, making sure he stayed asleep and that he had not gone to sleep in a more permanent way.

As soon as the last client had left, Kylo rushed back to Hux, lifting him up and carrying him back uphill. It was dusk, and though that made it easier for him to hide in the shadows of the trees, he feared getting lost in the woods again.

When Hux regained consciousness, he could feel a breeze on his face again. He opened his eyes to see Kylo was carrying him again. He blinked in surprise when he saw it was dusk. He must have been out for a long time. His head still hurt, but it wasn't as bad.

He looked around to see they were among the sparse mansions again. "Help!" he screamed as loud as he could, knowing he had no chance of getting away from Kylo himself in this state. He doubted anyone would hear, but there was always the chance.

They were almost back to Kylo's house, and he frowned down at Hux, annoyance beginning to override his concern.

"Quiet. You're only going to hurt yourself. No one can hear you out here."

Hux frowned, but he didn't say anything else. Kylo was right, anyway, no one would hear him out here. He tried to appreciate the outside, the smell and feel of it, since he probably wouldn't be going good outside for a long time.

"I see that you are only starting to realize just how badly you've fucked up. You almost made me miss work today, you selfish bastard."

Kylo clicked the remote gate opener on his keys and carried Hux up the driveway, feeling much less tense now that he was back on his own property.

Hux scowled at the ground. "That was your fault for freaking out and almost killing me." He lifted his head and looked at Kylo, wanting to ask him the question that had been bothering him earlier. "If I got some sort of injury where I would die if I didn't get to a hospital, would you take me or let me die?"

"Who's to say you're not about to get one, with that attitude?"

Kylo let the question hang, but if he were being honest with himself, he wasn't sure he could let Hux die.

Hux really doubted Kylo would actually kill him, unless it was by accident. But he didn't answer his question, and he decided not to push it. He was already in trouble; it was best not to make it worse for himself.

"And no, it was your fault for running away. I've been very generous with you, trying to make you comfortable here, but you had to go and throw that in my face."

The door unlocked automatically at his approach, and he nudged it in with his foot.

"You need to understand that this sort of thing only forces me to do things that I'd rather not." He sighed as he carried Hux down to the basement, laying him out on the floor while he went into the closet for a few seconds.

"Well you can't blame me for trying," Hux said. "And you caught me before I got too far."

Hux rolled up on one elbow as he watched Kylo walk into the closet. The floor was cold and it went right through his clothes. He didn't think he could have gotten up on his own, though, he was still pretty out of it.


	15. Chapter 15

The sounds of metal clanking came from the storage area, and Kylo reemerged with a length of heavy chain and handcuffs. The same ones he had used on Claire.

Hux sighed in frustration when he saw the chain and handcuffs, but didn't protest. He had tried to escape and been caught, he would take whatever punishment Kylo came up with.

Kylo straddled him and snapped the handcuffs on, making them tighter than they actually had to be, then looped the chain through the join. He stood, dragging Hux across the concrete floor to the corner of the room Kylo thought of as his "work space". A visible change in his demeanor overcame him as he entered the area. His eyes grew distant and cold, and the usual mirth that quirks his lips into a goofy smile was gone.

Hux narrowed his eyes slightly at Kylo when he put on the handcuffs. He had arrested people before; he knew they didn't have to be that tight. But he didn't complain, letting Kylo drag him across the floor and not trying to pull away. Even though the look in Kylo's eyes scared him, he convinced himself that he couldn't do anything that bad, he had already lost a lot of blood.

Kylo pulled the chain through the metal ring embedded high up on the wall, and hoisted Hux up to where he could barely keep his balance. He locked the other end of the chain to a bolt on the floor and then stood back for a long moment, observing Hux with the same detached interest one surveyed a painting at a museum. Looking for connections. For inspiration.

Hux had to stand on his tiptoes, and it was very hard to keep his balance since he was still dizzy. He was sure he had gotten a concussion. "You can't wait to do this until I get a chance to rest?"

"You've been asleep all day," Kylo said, voice flat and emotionless. He observed him a moment more before going over to Hux and unfastening his jeans, yanking them off and tossing them aside. He left Hux's underwear on.

Then he disappeared back into the closet and continued rummaging around.

"I still had a concussion and lost a lot of blood," Hux pointed out, but he doubted Kylo would listen to him. He bit his lower lip when his pants were pulled off, but let out a little sigh of relief when he left the underwear on.

"You don't have to bleed to feel pain," Kylo said as he re-emerged in a welding mask, carrying an armload of assorted tools and sharp metal bits.

Kylo went over to the table and clamped down a power sander. He laid out bolt-cutters, clamps, a blowtorch, and a length of thin, steel tubing. Completely ignoring Hux, he began cutting the tubing into short pieces, and grinding the ends down to sharp points.

Hux knew that was true, so he didn't protest and focused on keeping his balance so all his weight wasn't on his wrists. He felt an uncomfortable twinge in his stomach when he saw Kylo lay out his tools.

Kylo made ten pieces altogether, and then picked the smallest one up with the clamps and grabbed the blowtorch with his other hand. He walked over to Hux and stood in front of him, heating the metal spike until it glowed white hot on the tip. Then he bent over suddenly, grabbing Hux's ankle and pulling him off balance so that he wouldn't have any leverage to struggle. Grasping Hux's foot in the crook of his elbow, Kylo slowly worked the searing sliver under the toenail of his little toe.

Hux watched warily as Kylo heated the little metal spike. He was surprised when he grabbed his ankle, losing his balance as all his weight went onto his wrists. That was only uncomfortable for a brief second before he felt the intense pain under his toenail. "Fuck!" he yelled.

Kylo dropped his foot without a word, leaving the spike embedded there, and went back to get the next one.

The spike was still burning as it was embedded in his toenail, sending waves of pain through his foot, and he bit his lip, determined not to cry out.

Again, Kylo returned and started heating another piece of the metal. His expression was unreadable behind the mask but he stared at Hux's face, smiling at how beautiful it was when it was twisted in agony.

Hux tried to control his breathing through the pain. He had thought being raped was bad, but this was definitely worse. Kylo was creative; he would give him that.

Tilting his head, watching Hux struggle to remain silent, Kylo wondered how many spikes it would take before he finally cried out. He knew that toes and fingertips were among the most sensitive parts of the body, and he intended to keep going until he'd done all ten. Kylo grabbed his foot again and pushed the second spike into the next toe.

He couldn't wait to get to the second foot and then watch Hux's turmoil over deciding if it were better to try and fight to stand on his damaged toes or allow Kylo to pick him up again to momentarily relieve the strain.

Three. I bet it takes three.

He released him again and went back for the third.

Hux was determined not to beg. He would rather not show his pain, but he knew that was next to impossible with how much he would have to go through if Kylo did all ten toes. This was his fault, though, he had tried to escape-- wait, no. It wasn't a bad thing to escape, it was just a bad thing that he had been caught, he reminded himself. 'Worthless, stupid' His father's words ran through his head, and he clung to them because they were true.

He was distracted from his thoughts when he saw Kylo approaching him again and felt the searing pain shoot through him again. He bit his lip but a whimper still got out.

"I'm impressed. I thought you'd give in at three," Kylo said, his voice muffled by the mask. He went even slower with the fourth.

This time, Hux couldn't hold in his cry of pain, his face twisted.

Kylo shuddered with pleasure. "Oh, you are so beautiful like this. Go on, let it out for me. No one else can hear you."

Hux panted, taking a minute to catch his breath and brace himself as Kylo took a little break. It was just his luck a stalker psycho had fallen in love with him who got turned on by seeing him in pain.

"No? Ok then." Kylo went back for a fifth spike.

"Wait, I can scream if you want me to," Hux said, letting out a hoarse scream of pain.

"Mmmm. That's not the same. It's getting done one way or another because you brought this on yourself. You did a very stupid thing, and now you will pay for it."

Kylo lifted his foot again, staring right at him as he rammed the fifth spike in hard enough to pass through the nail bed and split the toenail. He'd been waiting for this one, delaying his gratification: the big toe was one of the most pain-sensitive areas of the body.

Hux hung his head. Kylo was right, it had been stupid.

He looked up when Kylo approached him again. This time, the scream was real and loud, and he hung limply after his voice went hoarse, his head dropping onto his chest.

Kylo went through each toe on the other foot as well, taking his time and backing off whenever Hux looked like he might pass out. He needed him to stay awake for this, and for the next part.

Something else he'd been waiting for: Hux had probably acclimated to the pain, but now he had no choice but to stand on one foot, or both, generating pain all on his own. Making him a participant in his own punishment would teach him a humility he desperately needed to learn.

But that wasn't all. Kylo observed him for a while, waiting for him to settle into the least possible painful position before disappearing into the closet once more.

Each toe was painful, but he only let out little whimpers, all screamed out. The pain wasn't as bad since he was sort of out of it, but having to stand on the foot that had been hurt was providing him with two sources of pain which was awful, and he constantly shifted and grimaced as he tried to find a position that was the least painful position, which was impossible. When they were done, he let out a little breath of relief. He had done it; he had gotten through it without begging.

Kylo came back without the mask on, his eyes glossy with a devious hunger. From one hand dangled a bullet vibrator. He swung it back and forth as he looked Hux over.

"Now comes the most important part of the lesson: that pleasure and pain are separated by nothing but the tiniest margin in our minds. Which one will you give in to? How long will you be able to stay still? I wonder..." He pulled the waistband of Hux's underwear toward him and slid the buzzing vibrator down inside. He set it to a low setting at first, then stepped away to watch Hux's reactions.

Hux’s face paled as he watched Kylo swinging the vibrator in his hands. "Kylo, no, this is too much," he said, shaking his head.

He bit his lip when he felt the vibrator slipped inside him, the low buzzing sending pleasure through him.

"Which will win out? Pleasure or pain?" Kylo unzipped his own pants and reached in, freeing his already hard cock. He began stroking himself as he watched Hux squirm.

Hux could feel his cock starting to harden at the pleasure, but it wasn't enough. He wished he could shift to get a better angle, but if he did he would have to put all his weight on one foot, which would be very painful.

Kylo bit his lower lip, drawing blood, adding a bit of pain to his own pleasure. He stepped over and turned the dial up on the vibrator and leaned in close enough to flick his tongue just under Armitage's ear. He kissed and nipped at the straining tendons in his neck but otherwise did not touch him.

Hux let out a moan when Kylo increased the intensity of the vibrator, his erection growing at the stimulation. He bucked his hips forward, but that caused him to shift, and his toes to throb painfully, which didn’t flag his erection too much. He was so caught up he didn't even mind when Kylo started kissing and nipping at his neck, instead tilting his head so he would have easier access. His toes were shooting pain, but the vibrator was shooting pleasure, and it was such a conflict. "Kylo, please touch me, I need to come."

At that admission Kylo pulled away, turning the vibrator off. He licked his bloody lips and smiled. "You're not going to run away again, are you." It was more of a statement than a question.

Hux let out a noise of protest when the vibrator was turned off. Now there was no focus but the pain. "No," he replied in an exhausted, defeated voice.

Kylo turned it back on and moved in closer, resuming his kisses along Hux's neck and slowly drifting lower, biting down on one nipple.

Hux let out a low groan when the vibrator was turned back on, his body twitching slightly with the pleasure-pain as Kylo bit his nipple.

Kylo went lower, placing a soft kiss just below Hux's naval. He stopped there, hovering over Hux's underwear, close enough to touch but not. "Tell me what you want. Beg me."

Hux let out a groan of frustration. "Please, Kylo, I need you to touch me, I want to come."

Kylo pulled his briefs down with painstaking slowness, savoring the sight of Hux's twitching hips and bulging erection. He licked his lips again and leaned forward, flicking his tongue once over the head of Hux's cock and leaning back to look up into his pleading eyes.

"Kylo, please, stop teasing," Hux said impatiently, thrusting his hips forward. The movement caused his position to shift and he let out a little cry of pain, even though his erection didn't flag.

Grinning, Kylo did just that -- running his tongue over his shaft and engulfing him, sucking hard and fast before pulling away -- edging Hux over and over again.

The edging was torturous, and at first Hux but his lip to keep from begging, but he all too soon gave in. "Please, Kylo, please, I'm so close, just let me come."

"Tell me you want me inside you."

Hux shook his head stubbornly. "No. I don't want you inside me." So far his experience with that had been unpleasant, and he had no desire to do it again. Even though he knew he wouldn't have a choice.

"Beg for it. Tell me you want me." Kylo licked a finger and slid it inside of him, finding and working around his prostate in slow circles. "It will be the best you've ever had. I'll make you come so hard you'll never want me to stop..."

Hux grimaced slightly when the finger was slid into him, it felt a little uncomfortable. It turned into a moan though when Kylo found somewhere inside of him that made sparks of pleasure go through him. "Fuck. All right, fine. I want you inside of me, Kylo," he said, then tensed in anticipation. He just wanted to come, and he would tell Kylo whatever he wanted to be able to. "But if we're doing this, can you let me down first? My toes hurt so badly, Kylo, please."

Kylo moved away from him, loving the whimper he pulled from Hux when he withdrew his finger and went over to lower the chain. He didn't drop Hux too far down -- after all, it was imperative that his hands stay far enough away that he couldn't touch himself -- just enough so that he could stand without driving the spikes into his toes anymore. Kylo lubed himself up and wandered back over, taking his time while the vibrator continued to do its work, and turned Hux around to face the wall. He pressed in slowly, both to prolong his torment and to give him time to adjust to Kylo's size.

Hux let out a large sigh of relief when Kylo lowered him, and he rocked his weight back onto his heels. His toes still hurt, but definitely less so now.

Hux couldn't help tensing as Kylo started pushing inside, wanting him out of his body. It didn't do anything except make it hurt more, of course. Kylo felt so big and wrong inside him, and Hux hated it.

"Relax," Kylo purred, his breath hot on Hux's neck. "I promise this won't hurt." He kept going slowly until the tip of his cock had found the same place his finger had moments before.

Hux let out another moan as Kylo hit that spot inside of him again, his muscles relaxing as he did so.

"There, see?" Kylo leaned over him, placing his hands on the wall so he could steady himself and get just the right angle. He pushed in harder against that spot, holding himself there and feeling how Hux clenched tightly around him, his body wanting to draw him in further, even if Hux didn't.

"Fuck, yes, Kylo, right there," Hux said, closing his eyes. If he concentrated on the pleasure, he could almost tune out everything else that hurt and was uncomfortable.

Kylo kept his thrusts soft and shallow, staying right where Hux wanted him, reading the cues his body gave as to when he should increase his force and rhythm. This. This is what he wanted more than anything in the world. More than Hux's obedience. To feel Hux writhing beneath him in pleasure and pain, wanting him. Needing him.

Hux was surprised that Kylo's thrusts were so soft and perfect, and he wasn't just chasing his own pleasure. He seemed to care about Hux's pleasure more than his, and Hux definitely didn't mind that. It felt nice to have someone who cared for him like that.

"How is it?" Kylo breathed, wanting to hear Hux say it, admit that he liked it, that he wanted more.

"It's... so good, Kylo, you were right, this can feel good," Hux panted. "You're the only one this has ever felt good with. Only you, Kylo. And it will only be you." Even though he half meant his words, he wanted Kylo to finish or let him come, he needed to come so badly.

Kylo continued to slow fuck him, but Hux's words were nearly enough to make him cum. The rush of power knowing he had full control over Hux's body, and possibly his mind. He forced himself to keep at his agonizing pace.

Hux was so close, and when Kylo hit that spot again, he came with a cry.

Hearing Hux cry out in ecstasy pushed Kylo over the limit, and with a final, deep thrust, he came as well. He leaned into Hux's back, wrapping his arms around his chest to feel him close and bury his cock as far as it would go. He stood there for several minutes, twitching and savoring the aftershocks of his orgasm.

Hux felt the still strange sensation of Kylo coming deep inside him. He just stood there semi-contentedly with Kylo inside him, feeling his warmth against his back.

Kylo stayed inside Hux as long as he could, only pulling out when he finally softened again. He still hadn't decided what he wanted to do with Hux for the rest of the night. Not knowing how he'd managed to escape the locked ankle chain, he couldn't very well take the chance that he'd try to escape again, even though he'd promised not to. Hux had given him one of the best orgasms of his life just now, however, so he felt the slightest stirring of guilt at leaving him chained to the wall all night.

When Kylo finally pulled out of him, he was soft enough it wasn't uncomfortable. He was very surprised he had been able to come without touching himself, and he still would prefer topping, if he had a choice. But bottoming wasn't so bad, he supposed.

"I'm sorry," Kylo panted, still a bit out of breath, "but I'm afraid you'll have to stay there for the night until I can figure out some way to secure you again."

He went over to inspect the ankle chain and the discarded lock. Hux had figured out the combination, from the looks of it. Smart. Kylo wondered how long he had waited to make his move, or if he figured it out and tried it immediately.

"What?" Hux exclaimed, twisting his head so he could look at Kylo. "Couldn't you just, I don't know, chain me to the bed or something?" he asked. Now that his pleasure had faded the pain was coming back. "I promise I won't try anything. I can't walk, anyway, with these spikes in."

"That's another thing... I'm going to have to take those out, and it's going to hurt almost as badly as when they went in. Since you were so good for me just now, I'll knock you out before removing them. Perhaps I'll have figured something out by then."

Hux nodded, willing himself not to tremble. At least he would be knocked out, he didn't think he could go through that again. "Thank you, Kylo."

"You've earned it," he smiled, "Perhaps chaining you to the bed will work for now. After all, I have to keep an eye on that concussion of yours, too." Kylo went back for some chloroform and returned, holding it up to his face. "Breathe deep. You don't want to be waking up for a while."

Hux nodded, grateful that he wouldn't have to stay up here all night. He took two deep breaths of the sickly sweet chloroform, and could feel unconsciousness come quickly. He was already exhausted from everything that had happened that day, and he welcomed the darkness.

Kylo unchained him and carried his limp form to the bed, laying him down on his back. He took the handcuffs and shackled Hux's wrists to the bed frame, because he was a bit worried that the chloroform wouldn't be strong enough to keep him unconscious through the pain of removing the spikes. They were firmly embedded under his toenails. The heat had cauterized and melted the flesh around them. He needed pliers to pull them out.

Hux came to when Kylo had two left. The pain came back in a sudden rush as he blinked his eyes open groggily. He bit his lip to keep from crying out, and when he had enough control of himself and his grogginess had mostly faded, he asked, "Are you done?"

"Almost. Two more. I can't go any faster or it will rip your toenails off." It wasn't really an apology, and Kylo couldn't say he wasn't inwardly enjoying this almost as much as he had putting them in.

Hux let out a shaky breath, trying to brace himself. "All right. Let's get it over with." He wished they could just stay in, but he knew they could get infected if they did.

Kylo watched his face as he extracted the spikes, probably a bit more slowly than was absolutely necessary. Despite the draining power of his last orgasm, Kylo's cock jumped a bit in his pants as he watched the turmoil of Hux's expressions, fighting to hide his pain.

Hux bit his tongue so hard he could taste blood in his mouth to keep himself from crying out. This wasn’t quite as bad as before, though, Kylo had been right about that. But it was still extremely painful, it felt like his skin was being pulled off. He lasted most of the way through the second one before he started screaming.

"That's better, isn't it? No need to hold it in." Kylo licked his lips and felt himself hardening again.

Hux shook his head, breaking the scream off, his body trembling. He wouldn't admit it, but it did feel good to let it out. "Kylo, can I please have some pills?" The corners of his eyes were wet, and he wished he could wipe them away.

"Of course you can. I'm not a monster." He brushed away a tear with his thumb and placed a soft kiss on Hux's cheek. "I'll be right back."

Hux nodded gratefully, not turning his head away from Kylo’s kiss because of that. "Thank you."

Kylo left and returned with a glass of water and another Vicodin. He held Hux's head up so he could drink. "It should kick in in about half an hour. Try to get some sleep. It's late."

Hux drank from the glass Kylo held to his lips, swallowing the pill, then nodded wearily. "Goodnight, Kylo."

"Goodnight, Armitage."

Kylo was reluctant to leave Hux alone, given the state of his injuries and that Kylo was irrationally afraid that he'd try to escape again, but he needed to get a new lock for the ankle chain. As much as the idea appealed to him, he couldn't leave Hux chained to the bed.

Hux tried to sleep, but he was in too much pain, so he just laid there, trying to think about something else until the pill kicked in, and he fell asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Kylo came back later, having found a padlock that required a key in his garage. Hux was out cold, such that Kylo leaned in close to be sure he was still breathing. He spent some time carefully cleaning Hux's various wounds and applying clean bandages before relocking the ankle chain and taking off the handcuffs. Exhausted, he went back to his own bed to sleep.

When Hux woke up, his hands were free and he rubbed his wrists. He was surprised to see his toes were bandaged when he swung his feet off the bed. He wondered when Kylo had done that. He just sat on the edge of the bed, noticing Kylo had put a new padlock on his ankle chain.

Kylo came down much later with breakfast: eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, orange juice and freshly brewed coffee. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Hux sat on his bed while he waited for Kylo, using the remote to flip through the channels. He had no desire to stand up, his feet still hurt, so he just sat on the bed.

He lifted his head and flipped the TV off when he smelled food, and heard Kylo coming down.

"Not very good. The pill has worn off; I would like another one. But I noticed you bandaged my wounds, I'm grateful for that."

"Sure. Eat something first though, so you don't get sick." Kylo had already put a pill on his tray next to the plate.

Hux nodded, taking his plate off the tray and putting some eggs and hash browns on it. He was feeling very conflicted toward Kylo at the moment. He had done awful, sadistic things to him last night, but then he had been so gentle and considerate when they had sex.

Kylo watched the contest of emotions draw lines around Hux's brow and eyes as he ate. He wanted to ask, but he already knew the answer, and sometimes silence got more information than speaking first.

Hux finished up his food before he spoke. "I don't understand you. You say you love me, but how can you if you do those awful things to me?"

"Armitage, you know I don't want to do them. You made me do it. You tried to run away when I'm only trying to protect you. And didn't I make up for it afterwards?"

Hux snorted softly. "Kylo, I know you get off on seeing me in pain. And don't call me Armitage. But yes, I suppose after was quite nice. It doesn't make up for what you did though."

"Of course, I do. I'd be lying if I said I didn't. But I don't want to cause you pain. You brought that on yourself. And why shouldn't I call you Armitage? It's your name, isn't it? Or are we not on a first name basis, even though I've been inside you twice now?"

"I don't like that name. I'd prefer you call me Hux. Calling me that brings up bad memories of my childhood."

"Hmm. That's unfortunate. I think it's a lovely name."

"Strange, not lovely. Even though I suppose someone who chose the name Kylo Ren would like strange." He finished up his food, still avoiding the bacon because of his missing teeth. It was good he wasn't a lover of meat; he probably wouldn't be able to have it again. He didn't hate meat, but he could live without it.

"Strange is lovely. Nothing beautiful ever came from something 'normal'," he said, looking to see if Hux took his meaning in both senses.

Hux rolled his eyes. "That's a strange way of complimenting me. And at the same time, you're insulting yourself."

"Am I? How so?" He arched one bushy eyebrow.

"You came from something normal. And I wouldn't call you beautiful, maybe all right."

Kylo laughed, "I? Came from something 'normal'? Don't be obtuse. My mother is a politician; she has more skeletons in her closet than I've put in the ground."

Hux snorted. "I didn't know the high and mighty Senator Organa had any skeletons in her closet!" he said, feigning surprise.

"Where do you think I got my sharp wit and ruthlessness?" He grinned.

Hux nodded slowly. "Yes, that makes sense. You didn't inherit her morality, though.”

"Oh? She likes to help people realize their potential, and so do I. The means may be slightly different, but I promise you, if she's elected president, she'll end up responsible for far more deaths than I ever have."

"’Realizing their potential’, is that what you call it?" Hux shook his head. "You're definitely a psychopath."

"Well, yes, I suppose that is a fair assessment." He took a few bites of his eggs before they went cold. "What amazes me is that you seem to have turned out alright. You could very easily have become a sociopath, considering your upbringing. Well, perhaps you are. You do seem rather emotionless most of the time."

"Yes, that's true, most people who are abused turn into abusers themselves," Hux stated with a nod. He hadn't quite understood that, he couldn't imagine putting someone through what he had gone through. "And I have emotions, I just keep them hidden. You're probably the one, besides my father, who's seen the most of my emotions."

"I would have thought you'd shut them down around him." Kylo leaned in, interested.

"When I was old enough to, I did," Hux said. "But my father started his abuse when I was young. Too young to control anything. When I was too young for him to hurt, he would lock me in this tiny coat closet for days if I displeased him. I was afraid of the dark then, and I had to do my business in the corner." He shuddered. "That was awful."

Kylo was amazed that Hux had revealed so much to him, and made a mental note of that particular punishment. He chided himself for not having thought of it sooner; it was a very common thing for child abusers to do to young victims.

"That sounds terrifying. Is that part of why you're so meticulous about your appearance? Having had to go through that and then later having to hide the physical marks?"

Hux blinked at him. "I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. It became a habit when I was younger, and I suppose it just stuck with me. I'm also pretty claustrophobic."

He shook his head as he realized he had probably revealed too much. "You must be very good at your job, Kylo, I've never told anyone that before. You have a way of making me feel like it's safe to talk to you. Even though telling my kidnapper those things isn't safe at all."

"Well, I'd like to think I'm pretty good at it. And naturally, your secrets are safe with me." He leaned back into his chair and scraped up the rest of his breakfast. "Speaking of which, I'd better be off. I have a full roster today. Do you have everything you need? I won't be back until late, probably."

It was a lie, of course. He had to be sure Hux wouldn't try to escape again. He did have one client, but he planned to be finished well before noon and back to watch Hux on the monitors and see what he got up to during his day. If Hux never knew when to expect him, it would be easier to catch him up to something.

Hux snorted. "Right." He thought for a minute. "Could you leave me some of that food? And maybe a fork? And since I don't have a laptop, would you mind getting me a pen and some paper?" He wanted some things he could use to fiddle with the lock on his ankle and see if he could get it open.

Kylo smiled -- outwardly eager to please, and inwardly knowing exactly what Hux was up to. "I'll leave you a spoon if you like, but not a fork." He couldn't be too obvious about it, after all. “I'll go get the extra food and some pens and paper for you."

He left and returned quickly, bringing what Hux wanted and taking away the rest to clean up. "See you later this evening then."

Hux frowned but nodded. There wasn't much he could do with a spoon, but he could try with the pen at least. "All right," Hux said, turning on the TV as he feigned disinterest in when Kylo left.


	17. Chapter 17

Kylo went back upstairs to wash up, keeping his phone close so he could watch Hux while he got ready.

Hux kept the TV on an interesting nature show about snow leopards even if he wasn't really paying attention. He wanted to wait for about a half hour to make sure Kylo was gone before he did anything.

Kylo called his client and rescheduled their appointment for later in the evening. Something told him Hux wasn't going to wait very long this time. He spent the next half hour debating whether or not he should stand right on the other side of the basement stairs door, or let Hux think he had a fighting chance and make him walk even farther on his injured feet before catching him. He decided the sitting room would be a nice medium. It was situated near the front door and with access to the kitchen and the back door there that led out to the garden and garage.

Just to make things interesting, he left his motorcycle keys on the table in the foyer, and settled in with his phone and a good book.

Hux waited for a little over a half hour before turning the TV off and limping over to the desk to grab the pen. He sat on the floor and stared fiddling the pen around in the keyhole to see if he could get it open. He wouldn't get very far walking with his feet like this, but he wanted to see if he could find a phone or some kind of weapon. He knew Kylo had a gun, then he could kill the psycho and use his phone to call the cops.

It was harder than he thought it would be to get the lock undone. He didn't have much experience with lock picking.

After a few hours, he decided to take a break, he was getting frustrated. So he got back onto the bed and turned the TV on again.

Kylo took a break from reading now and then to chuckle at Hux's frustrations. On the one hand, he was glad he couldn't get the lock open. He'd really run out of options at this point for keeping him imprisoned. He couldn't just give him free reign of the basement, not yet anyway, because there were too many weapons down there in the closet.

The closet... Ah, yes. Now, there was an idea. He smiled darkly and went back to reading.

Hux waited about a half hour before starting on the lock again. He spent most of the day like that. He would work for a few hours then take a break. He could tell he was getting close.

Kylo had been enjoying this but now he was getting antsy. He could see that Hux was making progress, but he worried that it wouldn't be until he had to leave for work, and then he'd be fucked. He decided to keep waiting. If need be, he could take his bike down to his office just five minutes before. All his client files were on his iPad, so he spent the next hour enjoying a sandwich and reviewing his notes. He still had plenty of time.

Hux felt a surge of triumph when the lock finally sprang open. It had been quite a while, so it would probably be safer for him to find a weapon in the closet rather than going upstairs to find the gun. If Kylo came home early he would be screwed. He took off the ankle cuff and walked over to the closet, opening it and looking around. He grabbed a heavy wrench and put it under the pillow, sitting on the bed again. He put his ankle cuff back on but didn't close the lock, hoping Kylo wouldn't notice until it was too late.

Kylo watched all of this unfold on the monitor, his eye having caught the flurry of motion as he read. He clucked his tongue and chuckled to himself. Of course you're not going to run; I should have seen that. You need the assurance that no one will be chasing you, hobbled as you are. Shame on me for not thinking ahead. Brilliant.

Kylo went over to the basement door and quietly turned the deadbolt, watching Hux in the screen to make sure he didn't hear it. Sure, he could have locked Hux in at any time, but where was the fun in that?

Kylo went to work, and when he came home, he couldn't wait to see what Hux had planned.

Hux had the TV on again so he didn't hear the deadbolt. He was going through plans in his head. People were usually pretty drowsy post orgasm, so he could tell Kylo he wanted to have sex again, and afterwards hit him in the head a few times with the wrench. Then he would find his cell phone and call the police.

Kylo watched all this unfold with amusement. He wished he had a camera into Hux's mind, but part of the fun was seeing what he would come up with. He loved his brilliant boyfriend.

When he got home he made a big deal out of making noise in the kitchen, just to see Hux's reaction.

Hux turned the TV off when he heard noises upstairs, and smirked. This would be much more pleasant if he didn't have to have sex with Kylo, so he grabbed the wrench and quietly made his way up the stairs, pausing on the other side of the door as he waited for Kylo to come down.

"Oh, you little shit..." Kylo mumbled to himself when he saw Hux waiting on the other side of the door. Well, two can play at this game.

Kylo went over to the intercom and buzzed it. If Hux wanted to keep up the charade, he'd have to go back down and answer it. "Hey, I'm making dinner, anything in particular you want?"

Hux looked down in frustration at the intercom. If he didn't answer it, Kylo would probably think something was going on, and he wouldn't be able to get the drop on him.

He reluctantly went down to answer the intercom. "Not really," he said.

"Ok. I'll be down in a minute then."

Hux looked at the door, wondering if he'd be able to make it up there in time. He doubted it, so he ran to the bed and sat down on it, sliding the wrench under the pillow. It looked like he'd have to go with his original plan.

When Kylo saw that he was staying put, he grabbed the two trays and made his way downstairs. "I hope you like spaghetti, then. Too tired to make anything else."

Hux forced a pleased look onto his face when he saw Kylo walking down. "I'm glad you're back. And yes, that's fine. I'm sure you've had a long day."

"I did. It was very illuminating, though," he said, passing Hux's plate over to him. "Did you get any writing done?"

For a minute Hux didn't know what he meant, then he nodded as he realized. "Oh. No. I found this really interesting documentary on TV and I watched that instead." He took a bite of the spaghetti, which was good, as all Kylo’s food was.

"What was it about?" Kylo asked, digging into his own food.

Hux cast around in his brain for something extremely uninteresting to Kylo so he wouldn't ask more about it, taking another bite to stall for time. "Quantum physics," he said.

"Oh?" He took another bite. "I didn't know you were interested in science. Not that kind of science, anyway."

"I didn't really either, but that documentary was very interesting."

"So, what was so interesting about it then?" he smiled.

Hux stalled again as he took another bite. He really didn't know that much about quantum mechanics. "Well it's still a very new area of study, so they're discovering lots of new things." He hoped that answer was sufficient.

"Such as?"

Shit. "Uncertainty principle. String theory. How was your day, Kylo?"

Internally, Kylo was giggling like a twelve-year old. "Oh, fairly interesting. I got to observe some new behaviors in one of my clients."

"Really?" Hux asked, trying to look interested so Kylo would stop asking him about quantum mechanics.

"Oh, yeah. This one guy, he's not very good at lying." He finished up the last few bites of his meal and set the plate aside. "I mean, it's fairly obvious that he wants to kill me, but he tries really hard just to make normal conversation, when all he's really thinking about is that wrench he has hidden under the pillow and what he's going to do with it."

Hux’s eyes widened, and he started to panic slightly. "How did you--" He glanced at the bed, then stood quickly and lunged for it, reaching under the pillow to try to get it out. He had lost the element of surprise, but he still had to try.

Kylo pulled out the gun he'd tucked into the back of his jeans and sat calmly, waiting for Hux to turn around.

Hux grabbed the wrench from under the pillow and turned to face Kylo again. He froze when he saw the gun in his hand. Shit, shit, shit.

"Sit down. Finish your dinner. It's going to be your last for a while." Kylo's expression had gone from playful to serious in an instant. "And toss that over there, before you hurt yourself."

Hux stiffly walked toward Kylo, tossing the wrench to the side with a loud clatter and sitting down again. "How did you know?" he asked, still in shock, then nodded to himself. "Cameras."

Kylo grinned and pointed out the one camera he hoped would be obvious enough that Hux wouldn't look around for the others.

He backed up, going over to the table to grab the handcuffs and tossed them to Hux. "When you're done eating, put those on and around the bed frame."

Hux looked at the camera, feeling disappointed in himself for not checking. That was sloppy of him, stupid.

He nodded. He wasn't really hungry anymore but he forced himself to eat anyway.

When he was done, he pushed the chair away from the table, grabbing the handcuffs and doing as he was told, sitting on the bed with his arm stretched uncomfortably.

Kylo came over to check that the cuffs were properly locked, tightening them just to be sure. He shook his head sadly and went over to the closet, rummaging around and bringing out crates of things that he stacked over in the corner.

Hux watched with a creeping of fear up his spine as he watched Kylo rummage in the closet. That had never turned out well.


	18. Chapter 18

Kylo continued to bring things out until everything dangerous had been removed. "You know. I hate to keep reminding you, but you've done this to yourself."

Hux dipped his head in an attempt to placate him. "I know. You're right, Kylo.”

"I've done everything I can to make you comfortable here, but you just keep trying to hurt me." He sighed, unlocking the cuffs and pulling Hux toward the closet. "I can't seem to keep you chained, and apparently you don't appreciate the freedom you've been given, so you're just going to have to stay in here from now on."

"I-in the closet?" Hux asked nervously, feeling his heart rate begin to speed up, trying to plant his feet.

"Yes. And it's entirely your fault." Kylo pulled the cuffs harder, yanking him off balance and then shoved him inside the confining space, slamming the door behind him.

Hux’s heart was beating out of control now as his panic at being inside a closet again took over. He slammed into the door as hard as he could, but it was solid and all he succeeded in doing was hurting his shoulder. "Please, Kylo, please let me out, I promise I'll be good, please."

"You've promised that before. Twice now. I can't take you at your word anymore, so this is what it's going to have to be." Kylo sat with his back against the door, feeling Hux's desperation as he pounded on the door.

Hux finally stopped his pounding and just stood there, leaning his head against the door, tears running down his face. "Could you stay with me tonight? O-or at least leave the light on." He wasn't scared of the dark anymore, but being in a closet brought him back to that place where he didn't want to be alone in the dark.

Kylo stayed where he was but reached up and flicked the light switch off.

Hux let out a little whimper of fear when the lights turned off. He could feel the walls closing in on him, and the hands reaching out for him from the darkness. He backed into a corner and curled in on himself as he started to sob.

Kylo was surprised to hear such an immediate and visceral reaction from Hux, who had suffered through actual torture more stoically. This was something he'd have to make use of more often. He wished he could see Hux's face -- he hadn't actually seen him have a complete breakdown yet -- but he hadn't thought to put any cameras in the closet. That would be something he'd have to attend to immediately.

Hux forced himself to calm his sobs to call out brokenly, "Kylo, are you still there?"

Kylo thought about it for a while, wondering if he should respond or wait to see what Hux would do. Though he wanted to answer, he decided to listen for a bit more.

When Hux didn't hear anything, he assumed Kylo had left. He was alone in a closet in the dark. He sank to the floor, wrapped his arms around his legs and started sobbing again.

"It must be just like you're three years old again." Kylo said after a while. "Are you afraid of what might be in there?"

Hux paused in his sobs when he heard Kylo. He wasn't alone after all. "I... yes. Could you keep talking, Kylo, just about anything, it helps a little."

Kylo smiled at how far he'd come. Hux needed him. That was a big step for Hux to take, and Kylo wished he'd thought of the closet sooner. "Like I said before, you did this to yourself. It wouldn't be much of a punishment if I let you off easy. Although, I suppose I could do you that favor since you seem to need it so badly. I am going to have to go to sleep at some point, though."

Kylo was right. This was his own fault. He was stupid, weak, useless. And Kylo always seemed two steps ahead of him anyway, so what was the point of trying to escape?

"Thank you so much, Kylo," he said, so grateful he was doing this for him. "Maybe you could sleep down here?" he asked tentatively. "Or at least leave the light on?"

"We'll see," he said, an ominous tone in his voice. "Why don't you keep talking and tell me something to keep me awake?"

Hux felt his heart sink a little at that. He tried to think of something to tell Kylo about. "Um, well, there was this one case one of my coworkers told me about where this woman had been raped and then killed, and the police found a guy pulling up his pants a few feet away in the bushes. I mean, it was obvious that he had done it, but he somehow managed to convince them that it wasn't him. He was very smooth, made the officers trust him, like psychopaths usually do, and he got away. The police officers just let him go, actually apologized to him for bothering him. They still haven't found him, even though there have been a few more cases where the semen found in the victim matches the first one's."

"You guys really don't have your shit together do you?" Kylo chuckled. He knew he had never been in any real danger of being caught. He was far too smart and charming. He could absolutely believe Hux's story; he'd talked his way out of all kinds of things with police, and even FBI. "What's the most interesting case you've had, besides me?"

"That was the police," Hux protested. "The FBI are much harder to fool."

He thought for a minute. "I didn't have too many interesting cases since I wasn't a field officer. But there was this case with a serial killer who killed corrupt politicians. You might have seen him on the news. He was quite a big shot, lots of people thought he was doing good work. I was originally on the team to find him before he became famous, and I like to think I played a big part in finding him, even if I wasn't in the field."

"You helped catch the Corruption Crusader? I guess I'm glad I got you before you got me. I've no doubt you're the only one smart enough to have caught me. I used to do profiling for the FBI. Still do. Got to work on my own for a while, maybe before you were assigned. That was fun."

Hux smiled at the strange compliment, glad Kylo couldn't see it. He felt a little better now, this was a nice distraction.

"Really?" he asked. "That does sound fun. I'm sure a serial killer psychologist would have very accurate profiles."

"Indeed. Like I said, I'm quite good at what I do. And also very good at misleading people into thinking my motivations were the opposite of what they are."

He thought about it for a minute, knowing there was often a reason FBI agents, particularly those as good as Hux, chose the cases they worked on, rather than being assigned. "What made you interested in my case? You were pretty relentless working on it."

Hux nodded from inside the closet, impressed, his breathing more steady now. He could almost forget he was in a dark closet.

"Well, when people that looked oddly like me kept dying, I wanted to know if it was somebody with a grudge against me or just a coincidence."

"Neither. They were just poor substitutes for the real thing," Kylo said as though he were discussing throwing out old clothes. He had no sense of remorse over killing those men, but he didn't like thinking about them.

Really he didn't want to admit to himself that they'd been more than just practice; he had a deep-seated need to kill, and the ache had surfaced repeatedly over the last few days. He didn't want to hurt Hux permanently, so he'd have to think of something. Fortunately, Seattle was blessed with a never-ending assortment of tall gingers, thanks to the Northern European population that had settled there early on.

"You don't think you could let me out of here so I can show you just how poor substitutes they were?" Hux asked tentatively, trying to make his voice seductive. He would actually do anything to get out of there. It wasn't as bad at the moment, but eventually Kylo would leave and he would be alone.

Kylo grit his teeth. He wanted Hux, he wanted him badly right now, especially after all the crying he'd done. His erection had only just begun to subside, but Hux's tone made it stir again. No, he told himself. You have to let this ride. You are the manipulator, not him. He deserves this, after all.

"You don't really think that's going to work, do you?" he said, once he was confident he could keep the desperate need out of his voice.

The pause made him hopeful that Kylo was considering it, but his heart sank when he heard his voice again.

"Thought I might as well try," he said weakly, resting his head in his hands and trying not to start hyperventilating again.

"Come on, you were being so sincere with me a moment ago, and you had to go and ruin it. I think I'm going to bed. I have a lot of work tomorrow, so I may come let you out, or I may not. We'll see." Kylo made sounds as if he were getting up, and leaving, but then crept back quietly to listen.

Hux looked up in alarm when he heard Kylo say he was going to bed.

"Please, Kylo, don't leave me here," he begged, but heard him walk up the stairs with a heavy heart.

He felt the walls start to close in around him again, and the hands reaching out from the dark and he started sobbing as he pressed himself as much in one corner as he could.

Meanwhile, Kylo was so hard he was aching for release. He very quietly unzipped his pants and began stroking himself, imagining Hux's face contorted in fear and agony -- the arch of those fiery eyebrows and the trembling of his soft lips -- just the thought of it was enough to make him come into his hand within minutes. Spent, he picked himself up off the floor and retreated upstairs without alerting Hux to his presence, washing up and dropping into bed, exhausted.

Hux didn't sleep at all that night. Even though eventually he ran out of tears, he shivered in fear as he hugged himself in the corner, every minute seeming like an hour as he waited for Kylo to come down.


	19. Chapter 19

Hux must have semi dozed off at one point, because he felt hands on his body, and he woke up abruptly with a scream.

Kylo was making breakfast when he heard a muffled noise down below. He switched on his phone monitor but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just to be sure, he set down his plate and crept down to the basement, listening for any hint of mischief.

Hux tried to control his breathing, still shivering in the corner.

Kylo stayed quiet, listening to Hux's harried breaths, considering things.

He could let him go for a day without food -- really get him worked up -- so that when Kylo finally did reappear it was as more of a savior role than if he were to be kind to him now. Yes. That's the ticket. If he came to him at his most miserable moment, perhaps he would appreciate it more.

He was feeling particularly sadistic this morning, so he decided to get an extra camera -- this one with a mic, which was more important since he couldn't see anything going on in the closet anyway -- and quietly placed it near the door. Retreating back upstairs, he checked the feed once more from the safety of the kitchen.

Hux had no idea how long had passed, but Kylo had to come by to give him food at some point, didn't he? Or at least let him out to go to the bathroom. He wasn't that cruel... or at least Hux didn't think he was. But as more time passed of him whimpering in the corner, he started to lose faith that Kylo would come.

There were a few times that he would fall asleep briefly and then wake up with another scream, having to force himself to calm down and not hyperventilate.

Kylo had his earbuds in, the music of Hux's agony keeping him company on his morning jog. He went back home, showered (and jacked it again, thinking about Hux), got dressed and went to work without even so much as a goodbye. He made sure to tromp around and shut the front door loudly, revving the engine of his Harley for good measure before rolling out to work.

Hux tilted his head when he heard Kylo upstairs, slamming the front door and the revving of Kylo's motorcycle. He had left him, without even checking on him or saying goodbye. It made him feel even more helpless as he huddled there. He hoped he would return before too long, he could feel how dry his throat was and he had to go pee.

Kylo had a busy day at work, but periodically checked in on the monitors to hear how Hux's panic was progressing. Sometime around 8pm he locked up his office and went home, again making enough noise that Hux was sure to hear it. He took his time in the kitchen, sautéing onions and garlic and other potent ingredients whose smells were sure to carry. Putting together a nice dinner for one, Kylo sat in his entertainment room and cranked up a movie, sipping a glass of wine while enjoying the show (and the show going on downstairs).

Hux started getting hungrier and thirstier, and his bladder aching more as the day progressed.

At one point, he was getting to the end of the control of his bladder, and he felt himself leak a little, whimpering with shame, but he stubbornly held the rest in.

He heard Kylo come in at one point, and stood up hopefully, but he didn't come downstairs, the smells of the food he was making his stomach rumble.

Then he heard him watching a movie, the absolute bastard, and Hux pounded on the closet in frustration. "Kylo! Please let me out. Fuck, please."

He paced for a little bit, trying to distract himself from his bladder, but he leaked again and this time he couldn't stop the stream running down his leg, moaning with the almost orgasmic pleasure of it after holding it for so long.

What he had done hit him after a few minutes, and he sat in the corner and started sobbing in shame.

Kylo paused the movie and wandered downstairs when he heard Hux sobbing again. When the smell hit him, he flung the door open. "What have you done? Pissed yourself like a child? Take those off," he pointed to Hux's soiled underwear, "and get in the fucking shower. Do you see how much you need me now? Do you?"

Hux winced at Kylo's words, still sobbing. He took off his clothes. "Yes, I need you Kylo, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

He blankly went into the shower, feeling relieved he could get the piss and tears off of him, and managed to stop crying as he centered himself under the hot water.

When he got out, Kylo was standing there with a mop and bucket and other cleaning materials. He thrust them at Hux the second the door opened. "You made the mess, you clean it up. Then, if I'm feeling generous, you can have some clothes. Though why I would bother at this point is beyond me, since you can't seem to control yourself."

Hux felt another wave of shame run through him, and he avoided Kylo's gaze as he took the cleaning stuff meekly and started cleaning the closet.

Kylo stood there, arms folded across his chest, scowling. Inwardly, though, he was reveling in Hux's humiliation.

After he had finished cleaning, Kylo took back the mop and other things, but didn't move out of the doorway to let him pass.

"You have a choice to make. You can stay in the closet another night, or I can break your legs. Because, at this point, it seems that's my only option to keep you from running away. Pick one."

Hux started trembling again. "N-No, Kylo, please don't, I promise I'll be good, I won't run away, please." He started dry sobbing, he was too dehydrated to have any tears left.  
"Your promises don't mean anything. Pick one."

"I'll... I'll stay in the closet for another night," Hux said reluctantly. "But can I at least have some water first?"

"Yes." Kylo closed the door and locked him in while he went up to get a glass of water.

Hux reluctantly stood back as Kylo locked the door and left him. The closet smelled strongly like cleaning fluids, and it burned his nose when he inhaled too deeply.

Kylo came back a few moments later and handed him the glass, standing there and waiting while he drank it, squaring his shoulders and trying his best to look authoritarian.

Hux drank the water as slowly as possible so Kylo would have an excuse not to leave him, but after a few minutes he had finished it and he handed it reluctantly back. "Can you talk with me a little before you go to sleep?" he asked.

"No." Kylo glared at him and took the glass back, slamming the door and pretending to go upstairs once more. He turned the movie on and then snuck back down to listen in by the door.

"Oh," Hux said sadly. He listened to the vague sounds of Kylo upstairs to try to ground him. But he was alone down here, and in the dark, and in an enclosed space, and it got to him. He started shivering again, every once in a while letting out a little choked sob or whimper.

He knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep, but at least hunger was the only thing that was bothering him at the moment.

Kylo really did have to think of some other way to keep Hux secure. Tempting as it was to leave him in the closet all the time, he couldn't do that. Nor could he actually break Hux's legs. Oh, he definitely could, but that would entail even more trouble for the both of them than it was worth.

He decided the closet just might break him faster than any physical pain anyhow. And he could always test it. If Hux behaved himself tonight, he would get a "reward".

That night was just as bad as the previous one had been. He dozed off a few more times due to sheer exhaustion, but he always woke up screaming within a few minutes.


	20. Chapter 20

Kylo came down in the morning to see how he was holding up. He stopped outside the door and asked if he was awake yet.

Hux stood up when he heard Kylo. "Yes, I am. Please let me out, Kylo. Please." His voice was flat, exhausted.

"Have you behaved yourself this time?" Kylo asked, trying to sound as authoritarian as he imagined Hux's father to sound.

"I did. Please, Kylo."

"Come on out then." Kylo opened the door and took a look inside. He stood back to let Hux go to the bathroom and waited for him.

Hux smiled up at Kylo as he went to the bathroom quickly, then he walked back and hugged him. "Thank you, Kylo," he said quietly.

Kylo was a bit surprised, ready for some kind of attack at first. When it didn't happen, though, he slid his arms around Hux's thin waist and held him, too.

"I think you may be ready to try something new tonight," Kylo smiled at him.

Hux looked up at Kylo curiously. "What is that?" he asked a little warily.

"I think, maybe, you could sleep in my room tonight. We haven't had much time together in the last few days." Kylo watched his eyes carefully for any signs of disgust.

"Really?" Hux asked. "I... I don't know if I deserve that, but I would love to." He had been stuck in here so long, any chance to get out would be welcomed.

Kylo nodded. "Alright. While I'm at work today, you can stay down here. No chain. If you behave yourself, I won't need to lock you up anymore. I don't want to have to do that, you know. That's up to you."

"No chain?" Hux asked slightly incredulously. He wouldn't try anything; he had tried escaping and every time just led to pain. It wasn't worth it.

"I'll be good, Kylo, I promise," he said.

"Come here," Kylo went to sit on the bed and patted the spot next to him, "Let me check how your feet are doing. Don't want you getting an infection."

Hux nodded and sat on the bed next to him, putting his feet up on the bed.

Kylo checked the bandages and changed them out with fresh ones, secretly enjoying the little hisses of pain as he dabbed on the antibiotic ointment.

Hux gritted his teeth. This was just another reminder of why he shouldn't try anything.

"Still hurts?"

"A little," Hux answered.

"Should clear up in a week or so." He finished and smiled up at him. "It will feel better walking around on carpet instead of down here."

Hux nodded, definitely looking forward to that. And maybe Kylo would let him go outside if he was good enough, he missed the fresh air.

"How long will you be at work today?"

"Only a few sessions in the afternoon; I'll be back before you know it."

"Good," Hux said. "Could I have some food and water before you go? Nothing too fancy." He hadn't eaten in a few days; he would probably throw up if he had anything too rich.

Kylo thought about it for a second, "Why don't you come up with me? You can sit at the breakfast table and read the paper and look handsome while I make us some breakfast." He smiled, genuine, though he was thinking that it would also be an excellent test with all those knives and sharp bits around.

Hux looked slightly dubiously at Kylo, not sure why he was being so kind to him after Hux had tried to kill him. "I would like that, Kylo," he said cautiously.

"Well, then. Come on up." Kylo led the way upstairs, looking over his shoulder to see if he was following.

Hux followed Kylo a few feet behind him up the stairs, careful not to get too excited in case this was a cruel joke.

Kylo directed him through the high-ceilinged hallways and into the breakfast room, which had a long bar-counter attached directly to the kitchen. "Sit over here and keep your hands above the table where I can see them while I'm cooking," he said, going over to the sink to wash up before digging through the fridge. "What would you like? I have eggs, bacon, oatmeal, fruit, ham, bagels, whatever really."

Hux looked around the house, as he followed Kylo. It was surprisingly nice. He sat down as Kylo said, putting his hands on the table. But he didn't pay attention to anything Kylo was saying, looking at the back door. He was so close; he could just run out the door and he would be free.

Kylo watched Hux's gaze flutter about the house. Clearly, he'd never been around this much wealth. He wasn't just taking in the expensive art or the designer furniture, though; his wandering eyes were also looking for every available exit and weapon. The knife block was not close to where he sat, but it was within reach. Kylo watched his eyes flick down to it and away, wary of being caught, as Kylo slowly pulled out the largest knife to slice some vegetables for an omelet. Kylo didn't blame him for this: it was probably the instinct of an agent to suss out every detail of a place in case of an emergency. But he waited to see if he wanted the exit. If he stared at the doors too long or too often.

Hux forced himself to look away from the door. He had tried escaping, and it had just lead to pain or humiliation. It wasn't worth it. Kylo was just as smart as him, and stronger than him. "I assume you don't make this much money from being a psychologist," Hux said. "Where do you get the money for a place like this?"

"My mother set me up. Partially because she's my mother, and she loves me, and partially because she knows who I really am and wants me as far away from her campaign as possible. She thinks I'm too dumb to see that, but I do."

Hux chuckled. "She definitely sounds like a politician.”

"She's the best. I have no doubt she'll be running the country next year." Kylo chopped up some onions and carrots to toss into the frying pan, watching Hux watching him with the knife. "So what do you think? Are you ready for a night in the house? Not planning to kill me in my sleep or run away again?" Kylo hoped the suddenness of the question would catch him off guard.

"That would be quite something," Hux said. "I don't think I'd vote for her though. If you'd let me vote."

"I've decided it's best to stop fighting," Hux said, surprised that Kylo would just outright ask him that. "It's time to just accept it. The only thing that comes of fighting is pain and humiliation. I've learned my lesson."

"Hmm, interesting," Kylo said, leaving him to wonder to which part of his answer he was responding. "Coffee or tea?"

"Coffee," Hux replied, tilting his head at Kylo slightly.

"You look like you have something to say," Kylo said over his shoulder as he poured the coffee. "Black, right?"

"Why did you all of the sudden decide to trust me?" Hux asked. He nodded. "Yes, black."

"Do you think I trust you?" He raised an eyebrow and passed him a mug.

"Well, like you said, I could kill you in your sleep, or just run away," Hux explained, taking the mug and taking a sip.

"True." Kylo took a sip from his own mug, eyeing Hux over the brim. "But you won't?"

"No, I won't," Hux said. "But I could be lying. To gain your trust."

"Also true. Well. We'll just have to see, won't we?" He grinned, smug in his assessment of Hux's inner struggle.

Hux tilted his head. "You seem awfully nonchalant about the possibility I might stab you in your sleep. And you still haven't answered my question."

"Haven't I?" He smirked. "Maybe I just got tired of fucking you in a dark basement."

Hux rolled his eyes and took another sip of his coffee. It looked like he wasn't going to get a straight answer out of Kylo, which was nothing new.

"I'm serious," Kylo looked him straight in the eye.

"Whatever you say, Kylo," Hux said dubiously. "Can I go outside today? I've missed the feeling of sun on my skin.

"Are you really ready for that? I do have guard dogs, you know. You won't get far if you try to run." Kylo finished frying up the omelets and passed one to Hux.

That made much more sense. Kylo probably wouldn't let him out from the basement without something to make sure he wouldn't run. "I won’t run." He started eating his omelet.

"Alright then, why don't we go enjoy our breakfast outside? It's a nice day." Kylo picked up his plate and coffee and moved toward the door behind Hux that led out to the patio area of the courtyard.

Hux nodded, standing up as well. He still wasn't very sure he trusted this nice Kylo, but he supposed he might as well take advantage of it.

The air outside was a bit brisk, but Hux didn't care at all, it was fresh air, and he inhaled it deeply.

Kylo sat down and motioned for Hux to sit as well, taking the plates he'd balanced on his arms and setting them on a small table between them.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is as far as we got in the rp

"How are your toes? If you're feeling up to it, after breakfast we could wander through the gardens. It's such a nice day out today..."

From the patio, Hux could see expansive gardens sprawling out over several acres of walled in backyard. The shrubbery and flowers were meticulously well-tended. Kylo must have employed the services of a gardener or other household staff to keep a place this size from running down, but no staff had ever made an appearance. Not even a sound.

Hux sat down. "My toes aren't too bad; I think I could walk. But what about the dogs?"

"They won't bother you unless I tell them to," Kylo looked at him and tilted his head a bit. "Don't like dogs?"

Hux curled his lip a little and shook his head. "No. They are disgusting, slobbery animals."

"Disgusting?" Kylo looked alarmed. "I'll have you know they're very well behaved. I trained them myself. Oh, there's one now." Kylo whistled and a large, fluffy German Shepherd trotted over to him and sat obediently at his feet.

Kylo knelt down and scratched under his chin and ears and, to Hux's complete surprise, started baby-talking to the dog. "That's a good Samson, yes you are. What a good boy. Who's a good boy? Is it you? Yes it is!"

"That doesn't mean they're not still disgusting."

Hux shook his head. "You're eating, Kylo. You shouldn't be touching that thing."

"I thought you FBI guys loved dogs. What a shame." He turned back to Samson, "You're not filthy are you, boy?"

Just to drive the point home, he scooped up a huge forkful of omelet, ate it, and then proceeded to rub his face in Samson's fluffy neck.

Samson enjoyed the attention immensely, tongue lolling and lapping at Kylo's face, but turned serious when he tilted his head to regard Hux.

"Some do, but I'm not an animal person. Well... cats are all right."

He curled his lip at Kylo’s display. "So if I come out here without you will that beast maul me or is it only if I run?"

"He will absolutely attack you if you come out here alone. He's protective of me. His sister is worse. Very territorial." Kylo turned and whistled out into the yard. "Delilah! Come here! Come here, girl!"

Another large German Shepherd came galloping across the yard at top speed and stopped on a dime at Kylo's feet, sitting at attention though her eyes flicked over to Hux on occasion.

"Good to know," Hux said with a bit of annoyance. It looked like he wouldn't get to go outside unless Kylo was around and felt like letting him out.

Hux had finished his omelet, and he looked at Delilah. "If I pet her, will she bite me?"

"Hold your hand out first. Palm up, like this," Kylo demonstrated, "And don't show fear. It you jerk away; she'll snap at you."

He scratched behind her ears and said sternly, "Delilah, scent."

The dog obeyed, leaning in to sniff at Hux, her eyes shifting with distrust at his every move.

Hux nodded and held out his hand like Kylo had said.

He was careful to keep very still as the dog sniffed at him.

Delilah chuffed into his palm in an effort to scare him, but seemed to be impressed by this human's tenacity. She drew back and sat by her master's side again, eyeing the redhead warily.

"Hmph," Kylo smirked, "Looks like she actually likes you. Maybe she won't eat you after all."

Hux rolled his eyes. "Well I'm very grateful for that. Can I pet her now?"

Kylo nodded and commanded, "Delilah, off duty."

The dog's demeanor changed instantly, her tail wagging and her tongue lolling out to one side, panting expectantly. Kylo gave her a few rough scratches around her ears. "That's a good girl, yes you are! You gonna let Hux give you some love now? Go on, he's a friend."

"Well they're very obedient," Hux said, impressed by that. He slowly stretched his hand out just in case she saw it as aggression and ran it over her head a few times.

"Very."

She panted and gave Hux's hand a big, slobbery lick when he pulled it away.

Hux grimaced. "Just when I was starting to think you weren't so bad," he said firmly to Delilah. "I'm going to go wash this off."

"Oh, calm down. It won't kill you. Just wipe it on your pants."

As soon as Hux made a move to get up, Samson, who hadn't been told to relax, sat up and barked fiercely.

Hux sat down all the way again. "Can I get up?" he asked with a little irritation.

"Samson," Kylo chided playfully, "Hux is a friend. It's ok." He patted the dog's head a few times to calm him down.

"Go on. Just be slow about it."

Hux nodded and stood up very slowly, watching the dog carefully as he grabbed his plate.

"Take mine too?" Kylo shoveled the last bit of food into his mouth and handed Hux his empty plate as well.

Hux rolled his eyes but he did as Kylo said and walked slowly into the house, just in case.

He put the dishes in the dishwasher and washed his hands very thoroughly.

Kylo didn't bother looking over his shoulder to see that Hux was doing as he was told. The dogs were very good at alerting him to danger, so he watched them for signs of suspicion instead.

Hux walked out again after a few minutes. "I'm going to burn if I stay out here too long. Do you mind if I watch TV?"

Kylo smiled, amused by the thought of a pink-skinned Hux. "Nah, go ahead. Maybe I'll join you." He got up, setting the dogs back to their guard duty, and came inside, opening up the windows but keeping the screens closed to block out the strong rays of the sun.

Hux went back inside and sat on the couch, turning on the TV and flipping through the channels. He glanced over when Kylo walked in, glad he was opening the windows. It was a nice day, and he had missed fresh air.

Kylo refilled their coffee and came to sit beside him, not getting too close, though he was tempted to sidle up next to him to make him uncomfortable. He'd better get used to it.  
"Find anything good?"

"Not yet. I like watching the news and documentaries. Any preference?"

"Whatever you want."

Kylo kicked his shoes off and put his feet up on the coffee table, curious as to what clues into Hux's personality he might garner by letting him have a bit of freedom. Kylo did his best to appear relaxed, while at the same time tensed to spring if Hux tried anything stupid.

Hux found a station showing the news, and watched it, rolling his eyes at Kylo putting his feet on the coffee table.


End file.
